Like so many young people growing up in northeast Ohio, Carlos Medina was an avid fan of Cleveland’s professional sports teams. The Bowling Green State University senior also played baseball as a child, but didn’t consider himself skilled enough to pursue the sport beyond his youth.

But he still loved the game.

That affection, along with his strong work ethic, his educational foundation and a wealth of intangibles, has made him an integral part of the Cleveland Guardians baseball operation for the past three seasons.

When the Guardians are playing at home, some four hours before the first pitch, Medina, a sport management major, is already at work on his lengthy list of duties as one of the home clubhouse attendants for the team.

He’s filling water coolers and taking towels to the bullpen, helping collect baseballs during batting practice and refilling the pitchers’ ball bucket, organizing the helmets and protective gear for each player in their designated cubbyhole in the dugout, running back and forth to the clubhouse when players need something – and that’s just a portion of the pre-game routine.

“There is a lot to do, and I try to make sure I am always doing something and being productive,” said Medina, who expects to graduate this fall. “We are always on call, so I’m ready for anything.”

Once the game starts, Medina usually serves as either the Guardians’ bat boy, or the ball boy who keeps the umpire supplied with fresh baseballs. The moment the game ends, he is back to work at a controlled yet frenetic pace.

He helps collect the players’ uniforms to be washed, gathers their cleats on a shoe rack so they can be cleaned and returned to their lockers, and once the last load of laundry is done, the clean uniforms are hung in each player’s locker, ready for the next game.

“From the time I arrive at the stadium until the day ends, it is usually a long list of things to do. We are there to make sure the players, coaches, trainers – everyone associated with the team – have what they need to be successful,” he said. “After the game, win or lose, there’s a lot to do with all of the laundry, cleaning up the dugout and everything, and putting the gear away.”

That often equates to a nine or 10-hour day for Medina.

Brandon Biller '09, the home clubhouse manager for the Guardians, said Medina has the ideal personality, diligence and commitment to help foster a great environment in the clubhouse.

“The players can focus on the game while he takes care of everything else,” said Biller, a 2009 BGSU sport management graduate. “With such a diverse group of teammates, each interaction requires special handling to make sure the job gets done to that individual’s requirements, and Carlos has taken on those interactions with the utmost level of professionalism.”

As a student at Bowling Green – ranked the No. 1 public university in Ohio for career prep – Medina also has worked in a fan support role at two Super Bowls, and assisted in the operations of the NCAA wrestling tournament, MAC Football Championship, MAC basketball and baseball tournaments, and March Madness. He credits the BGSU Sport Management Alliance, the student organization that he now leads as president, with helping to provide the pathway to gaining valuable experiences and internships.

“With the Guardians, it is a melting pot of people from all different backgrounds that makes the job so likable. It’s a real-world experience,” said Medina, who also serves as lead intern for the marketing and brand enhancement efforts of the BGSU athletic department for men’s basketball. He organizes on-court promotions, works with the band and the national anthem singer, and helps synchronize the movements of the teams and cheerleaders as they enter the court.

“I think all of these different roles and responsibilities have given me an array of skills and helped my personal growth. It’s real-world experience that you can’t get from a textbook,” he said.

Amanda Koba, Ph.D., professor in the College of Education and Human Development, coordinates the nationally recognized BGSU sport management program and arranges a multitude of opportunities for students to connect with internships and networking at a variety of career fairs. Medina calls her “one of the most helpful human beings on the planet.”

Koba said that, besides being an exceptional student with a 3.5 GPA, Medina is also a natural leader and someone others look to for guidance and support.

“He sets the standard for his peers, leading with integrity and purpose while fostering a positive and supportive community,” she said. “In the classroom, Carlos excels through his strong work ethic, intellectual curiosity and dedication to achieving his best. Overall, Carlos is the type of student who makes being a professor fun. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to get to be a small piece of his journey and have a front row seat to the start of his career in sport.”

Medina, who also has worked as a campus tour guide at BGSU, said he is considering a wide range of options following graduation, since his Bowling Green experience has left him with many potential career avenues.

“I saw all of the different opportunities for students through the sport management program, and I found people here to be very welcoming, so BG was a good choice for me,” he said. “Being here has probably been the most beneficial time of my life, and I plan to make the most of my education and my degree.”

Biller, his immediate supervisor at the Guardians, said Medina’s enthusiasm and eagerness to learn will position him well for the future.

“Without a doubt, what he’s doing today through his education at BGSU and his internship with the Guardians is prepping him to enter the workforce with a vast knowledge of the industry, as well as real-life experience at the highest level of the sport.”

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