My day meeting Coach Fuente and the Team

My meet and greet and fan appreciation experience. Almost a year ago I won a meet and greet and pictures with Coach Fuente, well I was finally able to find a time we could both do it this past Sunday. I combined the fan appreciation day with my meet and greet, that way I was only leaving the four kids with my better half for a day and a half.
On Sunday morning I got up and went to Carol Lee Donuts to get some treats for the staff and coaches, a firehouse rule is, NEVER show up empty handed to a new station. I met Pete Moris for a quick tour of Merryman, Basement of Cassell and the locker room building. I met some of the support staff and interns in VT promotions, Hokie Vision, communications and other areas.

While in the lobby of Merryman waiting to go back to the communications office I ran into Coach Fuente dusting off one of the display cases. I walked up introduced myself and thanked him for last season. He was getting ready to go out for his four-mile morning run so we didn't get to talk much but the little we did he was great to chat with. Then it was up to the administrative area to meet some of the behind the scenes staff. After that, I met Jon Laaser and Andrew Allegretta setting up for interviews and commercial pieces from the players and coaches on the balcony overlooking the practice field. Both great guys who were nice to talk to.
Next was sitting in on the team meeting where the day's schedule was discussed with the players Danielle Bartelstein runs a tight ship there and the players really pay attention to what they she has to say, then Pete Moris called me up in front of the assembled players and introduced me. Now I am a 33 almost 34-year-old man who has spoken to large crowds before but I'll admit I was a little nervous about how these players would take to someone being in their area and I have to say I was very impressed with how the players acted. They welcomed me with applause multiple players walked up and thanked me for coming and supporting the team. Both Coach Beamer and Coach Fuente are clearly doing a great job along with their parents of course of raising up some great young men.

I was then given the penny tour of the facility by Pete. I saw the practice gym with its new floor scheme, the way outdated media rooms that look fresh out of the 90's, the bowman room which I hope they get funding to update soon and several other offices of support staff. The places that have been updated look great but the ones that have not look bad. Also, Hokie Vision staff have zero ideas where the new ACC studio can actually be built because space is at a premium. The locker room looks good but needs some minor cleaning to keep it looking that way. The player's lounge is well appointed and stocked but is being used as the meeting room right now due to renovations. I didn't know this but Virginia Tech actually has endowed scholarships for some sports, wish we could see some endowed coaching positions like some other schools. After the tour I went back up the Bowman room and ate breakfast with some of the staff and players, got to shake coach Foster's hand and thank him for his years of service and meet some of the behind the scenes staff.

I watched the team take all their position group, geographical group (804, 757, NC) pictures and got to talk to some of the players at length. Gallo spent 15 minutes talking to me about any and everything, Raymon Minor, and a few others took time out of sitting around waiting for their picture to chat. When the team had one last chat I used this time to walk the tunnel at Lane for the first time and touch the Hokiestone, it was an amazing moment I didn't ever think I would get. After all pictures in the Beamer Barn were done the team walked to Lane like they would for a game and I was lucky enough to get to watch them from the exit into Lane At this point Coach Fuente came down the tunnel and we took pictures at the end of the tunnel and just outside. We walked out talking about several different things, he introduced me to his family and kids, to several of the staff and coaches standing around. He then signed a football I had brought with me and I spent time talking with his wonderful family while the team picture took place. After the team picture I was able to get a close up look but no picture of the commonwealth cup and Commonwealth clash trophy. After this was the fan appreciation autograph signing. I was able to talk to Coach Cornelson and Coach Foster and get their autogprahs while waiting for the official event to start.

(Ive been trying to move my pictures from my phone to the computer but am having no luck)

TKP extra: Several staff not coaches were very impressed with the website and the fans on here when I showed them the site and some of its content. Later in the day wearing my TKP shirt a lady at the Hokie visitors center stopped me and told me how awesome the videos and tshirts are that's TKP produces. She even said she plays some of the videos there a the center during game weeks.