If you’ve ever wanted to have the opportunity to talk with Athletic Director Kevin Anderson or one of the head coaches at Maryland, the Terrapin Club’s Maryland Pride Tour which made the third of its four stops at the Marriott Inner Harbor in Baltimore Thursday night was, perhaps, your grandest opportunity. Because we are about all things Maryland, your entire Terp Talk team was there.
Before I file my report on the evening, let me answer some questions that I’m certain have been pressing on your minds. Question one: What would it look like if Wayne, Todd and Bruce got together in one place? The answer is this:
Question two: Did anyone turn to stone or become otherwise incapacitated when facing this three headed monster? Fortunately for everyone involved the answer is no.
In addition to Kevin Anderson, a veritable cornucopia of coaches attended the Baltimore event. Here’s the list (alphabetically by first name): Brenda Frese (women’s basketball), Daria Panova (women’s tennis), Diana Cantu (women’s golf), Jonathan Morgan (women’s soccer), Mark Turgeon (men’s basketball), Missy Meharg (field hockey), Randy Edsall (football) and Steve Aird (volleyball). The sharp eyed among the guests also spotted some assistant coaches such as Turgeon assistant Bino Ransom and volleyball’s Kristen Kenney.
Running back Wes Brown, who gets my award for best performance by a student athlete in a supporting role, proved to be an outgoing and genial representative for the football squad. I learned that he expects to complete his degree by the end of the next academic year but plans to return for his final year of eligibility as a graduate student or by working toward a second major.
The junior from Good Counsel High School, hangs out with and is looking forward to running behind Damian Prince and Derwin Gray. He told me that the theme for this year’s squad is “All In” and it refers to the team’s commitment to being all in for everything. No missed classes. No missed meetings. No missed practices.
I arrived early and had the chance to spend a bit of extra time with coaches Aird, Kenney and Morgan as I sipped on a Blue Moon Belgian White. They provided some off the record insight into the coming season and planted some seeds for stories that we will follow up on later in the summer.
Inside, we snacked on nachos and sliders for most tastes (turkey burgers, veggie burgers and cheeseburgers). A dessert table of fresh fruit, smores, marshmallows and mini-eclairs with vanilla, chocolate or strawberry dipping sauces also tempted and beckoned.
For the more formal and structured part of the evening, Chris Knoche served as the emcee and brought the coaches to the stage in groups of four. They talked about the move to the Big Ten, the importance of the Maryland Pride movement and its ties to Baltimore and the futures of their respective programs.
Anderson held the anchor position and briefly thanked his staff and coaches for the event and the past year. He also reiterated a statement from his Terp Talk interview that the young people we support on the field of play – both through our fandom and through contributions to the Terrapin Club Scholarship Fund – are students who participate in athletics.
Sometimes we forget that. Perhaps we shouldn’t.
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