Karyn Swann ’92, sociology, never imagined that her daughter, Lyric, would attend UMBC, let alone follow in her basketball-shoe footsteps. And Lyric had no idea when she was cheering at the Homecoming games and attending UMBC Nike Basketball Camp in 8th grade that she would one day leave her own legacy on the same court.

Lyric, who signed with UMBC in December 2018, began playing basketball when she was eight after Swann put her in a clinic with her twin sister. She will start playing in the fall.

“It was my UMBC teammate, Angel, who told me about a clinic that she was putting her daughter in, and she suggested I put my twins in” says Swann. “I was hands-off. I never dreamed that I was going to be coaching her. Two years after being in the clinic, she joined a league, and I’ve been coaching her ever since.”

Both Lyric and her mother are left-handed, so Swann’s coaching was key. Lyric quickly became an outstanding athlete, playing both basketball and soccer. After she was named Most Valuable Player at the UMBC Nike Basketball Camp, recruiters started taking note.

“Her sophomore year going into last year, she had a phenomenal summer. So [UMBC] said, ‘Oh gosh, we have got to get this girl before these top top programs get her. The tournament wasn’t even over and they wanted to schedule a visit with her. That’s when it was first surreal, like she could really go here,” says Swann.

Can we put this on our fridge? #RetrieverNation https://t.co/uXyCOk0TOV

— UMBC (@UMBC) June 14, 2019

Currently finishing her senior year at Long Reach High School, Lyric is the top point guard in the area and was the 2017 – 18 Howard County Player of the Year. When it came to making a decision, she had to pick between many schools recruiting her, including Yale.

“She’s a very prolific player. The coach here knows she could have played at a higher level. She realizes that academics are important, and there’s so much that UMBC has to offer in helping you beyond graduation,” says Swann.

When UMBC offered Lyric a full scholarship, she accepted it the same day.

“I was considering some other schools, but I felt like this one was the best fit for me because my mom went here and it’s close to home, and it’s like a home to me. Last year, I verbally committed to this school. This year, I did early signing,” says Lyric. “It was nice because it was a confirmation that I’m here and that my education is secured and my athletic career is secured, and I was just excited to go to college, you know?”

Swann, who wasn’t recruited, but became a walk-on-turned-scholarship athlete, remembers a very different UMBC, one that was much smaller, but one that she loved nonetheless. “I had so much fun when I was here. There were a lot of people from my high school here, so it felt really comfortable,” she says. “I loved going to the dining hall and going to some of the parties on Hilltop, and of course I spent a lot of time in the gym and running around the loop for conditioning.”

Incoming women’s basketball head coach Johnetta Hayes said she was thrilled to learn about Lyric well as her mother’s history with the team.

“Lyric will get a chance to create her own story, and I’m excited about that,” Hayes said. “I am thrilled to know she has passion for UMBC. This is home for her. It’s great for her family, and it’s great for UMBC, as well.”

Lyric already knew she wanted to stay in-state so that her mom could come to watch her play. “UMBC is a good school. I’m looking forward to going to an honors school. The people who go here are really smart and focused and they put their future first, as a priority for them. They’re trying to go places in life, and I’m excited to be surrounded by these people,” says Lyric.

She plans to major in graphic design. “I’m looking forward to playing here because basketball is my passion,” says Lyric. “I’m looking forward to making an impact here at UMBC and having fun doing it.”

*****

Header image courtesy of UMBC Athletics.

Topping off a history-making year, the celebrations continue tonight for UMBC men’s basketball with a nomination for “Best Moment” at this year’s ESPY Awards. Before they jetted off for a star-studded night in Los Angeles, we caught up with some of the players hitting the red carpet to answer the hard-hitting questions #RetrieverNation needs to know.

ESPYs voting is open until the start of the show at 8 p.m. EST. Click here to vote for the Retrievers!

Q: It’s a night that sports enthusiasts dream of. Is there one celebrity you’re looking most forward to seeing?

• “LeBron. Cleveland still loves him.” – Nolan Gerrity ‘19, forward/center, unofficial representative of Cleveland.
• “LeBron James.” –  Max Curran ‘20, forward, here to state the facts and keep his eyes on the ESPY prize.
• “The GOAT (greatest of all time), Aaron Rodgers, of course. And my celebrity crush, Rachel McAdams, was there last year. I doubt she’d go two years in a row as a non-athlete, but here’s hoping!” –  Joe Sherburne ‘18, forward, still recovering from his Aaron Rodgers Twitter shout out during March Madness.
• “I don’t think I could pick just one, but definitely LeBron or Drake.” – Jourdan Grant ‘18, guard, ready to represent on behalf of all #UMBCalumni.

Q: The single most important question prior to any red carpet event: What will you be wearing for the big night?

• NG: “Dark gray suit and some Gucci shoes.”
• MC: “Black suit with white shirt and black and gold loafers.”
• JS: “A fine suit, tailored by ATC Dry Cleaners in Annapolis, MD. If you want your clothes tailored right, the only option is to go to ATC Dry Cleaners #ad.”
• JG: “Blue suit with some ‘drip’.” Editor’s note- we Googled “drip” for you and learned it means “immense swag.” 

Q: You’re going to have a full day ahead of you. How do you envision it going?  

• NG: “I think I’ll be anxious but mostly excited. I imagine the day will be going very slowly.”
• MC: “Just endless anticipation, waiting for the show.”
• JS: “No clue. Maybe I’ll visit the pool. I might stare at my reflection for a while to focus, like Cristiano Ronaldo does before games. And I definitely have to make sure my phone and portable charger are fully juiced, since I’ll be taking lots of pictures.”
• JG: “Very chill and relaxing. I plan to enjoy some good food and vibing with my brothers.”

Q: Inquiring minds are dying to know what’s the most important thing you packed in your suitcase?

• NG: “Definitely my portable charger. I’m gonna be using my phone a lot taking pictures during the show.” Psst – make sure you follow @UMBClife on Instagram as Nolan takes over live from the show!
• MC: “Cali clothes.”
• JS: “My suit!”
• JG: “I would say my Comme des Garçon Converse shoes.”

Don’t forget to tune in at 8 p.m. on ABC or Watch ESPN on Wednesday, July 18 and show your support for #RetrieverNation!

When UMBC dethroned the University of Vermont, 65 – 62, to win the America East men’s basketball champion ship on March 10, few anticipated the journey ahead. A stunning three-point shot by Jairus Lyles, with less than a second left on the clock, didn’t just catapult UMBC to the NCAA tournament, it set the tone for the nail-biting, heart-pounding, history-making run that would follow.

By Dinah Winnick and Jenny O’Grady

Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11, Ian Feldmann, Gail Burton, Brian Jenkins, and Mitchell Layton

University of a Million Brackets Crushed

Selection Sunday arrived and joyful fans crowded into the Retriever Sports Zone, surrounding the men’s basketball team as the live broadcast announced they would take on no. 1 seed University of Virginia. Cheers erupted as if UMBC “were announcing itself to the world,” wrote Jonas Shaffer in the Baltimore Sun. “It was less ‘Here we are, America’,” said Shaffer, “and more ‘Here we go.’”

That victory-focused mentality held strong. As the team headed off to North Carolina two days later, guard K.J. Maura ’18, sociology, told local press, “We don’t go to the game thinking we’re underdogs … We go [with] the mindset that we’re going to win the game.” And his vision became a reality.

Basketball fans watched in awe that Friday night as UMBC made history. The Retrievers became the first-ever no. 16 seed to defeat a no. 1 seed in an NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament.

And they didn’t just win. As NPR reported, UMBC “beat the stuffing out of Virginia, the best team in the country.” UMBC bested UVA by 20 points, earning a 74-54 victory. In an instant, UMBC became University of a Million Brackets Crushed. Sports reporters took to social media, proclaiming the win the biggest upset in men’s college basketball history.

How Did It Happen?

How did it happen? UMBC “played loose and fearless,” wrote the New York Times. “When most uber-longshots in the NCAA tournament get tight, the Retrievers instead went to the rim with reckless abandon,” USA Today reported. UMBC shot 54.2 percent from the floor, and as their lead over Virginia ballooned, the Cavaliers “played with nervousness while the Retrievers’ confidence grew.”

UMBC star guard Jairus Lyles ’17, sociology, M.A. ’18, education, again helped lead his team to victory, finishing with 28 points (82 percent from the floor). During the TNT broadcast, analyst Bill Raftery commented, “The kid’s on fire.”

Retriever fandom exploded. UMBC became the world’s top trending topic on Twitter. The university website, ready for an influx of visitors, slowed under the weight of millions of clicks. The UMBC Bookstore, closed for Spring Break, received 3,000 online t-shirt orders overnight. NBA star Steph Curry called to congratulate the Retrievers. Oh, and UMBC appeared on the front page of the New York Times, Washington Post, the NPR website, and Sports Illustrated.

The game grabbed the world’s attention, but news coverage and fan messages from around the globe quickly revealed that Retriever Fever was about more than the game alone. As New York Times reporter Erica Green wrote, “the U.M.B.C. Cinderella story transcends athletics, and has been decades in the making.” The Baltimore Sun captured that feeling in a headline: “Never heard of UMBC? MIT has. And Cal Tech. And Harvard. And Stanford …”

“It’s no coincidence that two of our strongest players, Jairus Lyles and Joe Sherburne, earned 4.0 GPAs this fall, or that Joe was just named a First-Team Academic All-American,” President Hrabowski noted in The Atlantic. He wrote that at UMBC, “our magic comes from questioning expectations, putting in the hard work, and staying focused,” from the court to the classroom.

Schooling the Nation

The victory over UVA certainly crushed millions of brackets, but for the UMBC community that success was emblematic of the university’s larger story of grit and greatness, where drive and support yield astounding achievements. “Our men’s basketball team embodies our definition of grit … bringing both passion and preparation to the game,” Hrabowski wrote.

The Retrievers returned to the court to battle Kansas State in a neck-and-neck round-two contest. Even as UMBC lost, 50-43, game announcers highlighted the Retrievers’ perseverance in fighting to the end, as walk-on and former team manager Isaiah Rogers ’18, biological sciences, sank one last shot while the buzzer rang out.

Changing the Landscape

Since UMBC’s NCAA appearance, accolades and congratulations have continued to pour in. UMBC celebrated as Coach Ryan Odom earned the 2018 Hugh Durham Award, which honors the nation’s top mid-major men’s college basketball coach of the year. Odom led the Retrievers to the 2018 America East tournament title, NCAA Championship first-round victory, and a total of 25 victories over the course of the season, a record for the program.

“Ryan Odom has completely changed the landscape at UMBC,” CollegeInsider.com’s Angela Lento said, calling him “one of the best young coaches in America.”

Even prior to the NCAA victory, UMBC Athletic Director Tim Hall shared, “Obviously, Coach Odom is first class — in all facets — and his student athletes bought in from day one.” Indeed, at the end of last season, Odom received the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation’s top first-year head coach.

CollegeInsider.com also named Lyles to the Lou Henson All-America team. This follows Sherburne ’18, financial economics, being named to the Academic All-America Division I Men’s Basketball First Team — the first UMBC player and first America East player to receive this top academic honor in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. Additionally, Maura was named America East Defensive Player of the Year.

Beyond the coach and players, UMBC Director of Multimedia Communications Zach Seidel ’12, media and communication studies, M.S. ’15, human-centered computing, developed a massive fan following during the Retrievers’ NCAA journey. CBS Sports called him a “March Madness hero” for live-tweeting the games through @UMBCAthletics with an exuberant spirit, gracious competitiveness, and self-deprecating humor. Since then, he’s done interviews with media across the U.S., offering tips to other universities on how to make the most of their NCAA appearances and have fun while they’re at it.

Hometown Heroes

The team also received a massive welcome home from elated fans in Maryland. On March 26, they traveled to Annapolis to meet with the state legislature and Governor Larry Hogan, who, heading into the championship, had selected UMBC as #1 in his NCAA bracket. A joyful UMBC community celebration in the university’s new Event Center followed, and when the Baltimore Orioles announced they would honor the team during a pregame ceremony on April 20, UMBC Pride Night tickets sold out in a day.

As the NCAA Championship came to a close on April 2 and the Retrievers had a chance to step back, take a breath, and reflect, it became clear that the echoes of UMBC’s March Madness journey will be heard for years to come.

“Our colleagues knew about us, but this was an opportunity for the world to better know us,” said President Hrabowski. “We prepared for that moment well,” and when the spotlight turned toward UMBC, “They saw substance. They saw values.”

— Dinah Winnick

Bobby Mills ’91, economics, played a prominent role in building the foundation of UMBC’s Division I men’s basketball program. While there have been ups and downs over the past 30-plus years, including four conferences switches and six head coaches, the first teams and their “founding fathers” hold a special place in Retriever Athletics’ history. Mills’ UMBC journey contained challenges, but he credits his families – the one based in Pittsburgh and his Retriever family in Baltimore – for putting him on the path to achieving more than he could ever have imagined back in 1986. And, he’s never been more optimistic about the present and future of his beloved Retriever program.

– Steve Levy ’85, Associate AD, Athletic Communications

“It’s a Whole New Ballgame”

This was the slogan that former athletics director Rick Hartzell chose to use as he piloted the UMBC Athletics’ program into the NCAA Division I era in the fall of 1986. For a university with only 20 years under its belt, the words seemed apt.

Within the new structure, a great number of UMBC teams were expected to fare reasonably well in the early stages of the Division I experience, but the men’s basketball program was not among them. After some great fortune, marked by back-to-back NCAA Division II appearances in 1978 and 1979, a loss of scholarships helped sink the program into poor condition just a few years later. In fact, the Retrievers won only five games (5-23) in their final D-II campaign and a daunting D-I independent schedule in their initial campaign had those inside and outside the UMBC Fieldhouse wondering if new head coach Jeff Bzdelik would win a contest in 1986-87.

But Bzdelik, using his resources as a former Northwestern assistant, gathered several Division I-ready players shortly after arriving in Baltimore. Junior college transfers Reggie Truitt ’89 and Jeff Reynolds ’89, DeMatha High School product Duane Faust, and Towson Catholic’s Gamel Spencer ’90 teamed up with dedicated holdovers and two other recruits with whom Bzdelik had forged bonds on the recruiting trail at his former Big Ten school: Larry Simmons ’90 and Bobby Mills ’91.

That group shocked the skeptics and won 12 games (12-16) in the first season. The following year, the addition of Reynold’s brother Kenny propelled the team to a 13-win season (Jeff missed the year due to injury). When the Reynolds brothers finally got on the court together in 1988-89, the Retrievers posted a mark of 17-11 and captured the Battle of Baltimore Tournament under first-year head coach Earl Hawkins.

Mills had visited Northwestern and also had offers from George Mason, St. Peter’s and St. Francis University of Pennsylvania. But he ultimately decided  to take a chance and come to Baltimore to play for Coach Bzdelik. “It gave me the opportunity to play right away,” said Mills, who also promised his parents he would find a school with an engineering program. “It came down to the right situation for me, coming in with the new guys and building something up from the ground.”

It didn’t take long for Mills to get acclimated. “It was a commuter school back then. You became close with everybody on campus. I liked (former UMBC President) Dr. (Michael) Hooker; it was great meeting him on my first visit and hearing his vision of where the school was going. And it was only four hours for my parents to come see me play.”

Mills also credits Gym I (UMBC’s original playing facility, located on the grounds that The Commons has occupied since 2002) as creating part of the culture of that close-knit group. It acted as a private practice facility for the team in those days where “gym rats” like Mills, Simmons, and others, could shoot and play long after the sun went down or came up.

But the bonds that Mills forged went well beyond his teammates and the administration. He roomed with senior lacrosse players Craig Parks ’88, Ricky Fried ’88 and UMBC Hall of Famer Ray Ignacio ’87 in his sophomore year and, despite moving in with Simmons as a junior, he still had great friendships with UMBC’s other athletes on the lacrosse, baseball, and soccer teams.  

On the court, Simmons had been recruited to play the point guard position and Mills the off-guard slot. But circumstances dictated a role reversal after their third game as freshmen and, Simmons, an Indiana native, would go on to score the most points (1,805) in school history, a mark that stands more than a quarter-century later.

Mills’ numbers were not nearly as gaudy.  He struggled with injuries throughout his tenure, missing the entire 1987-88 campaign with mysterious concussion-like symptoms from a charge sustained in the Coppin State game at the end of his freshman year. (Years later, after re-connecting with UMBC sports medicine guru Cindy Kubiet, he learned he suffered from a spinal concussion, a yet-to-be-discovered condition at the time.)

But Mills persevered through it all, provided some memorable moments at point guard, and learned life lessons from the adversity. “My sophomore year was a tough year because no one knew what was going on. But we had such a tight-knit family, from the coaching staff to Cindy’s staff, I really appreciated the care that I was given.”

It didn’t hurt that his parents, Glenn and Rose Mills, made it to Baltimore from Brackenridge, Pa. for nearly every home game and traveled extensively during Bobby’s tenure. To this day, Glenn has fond memories of pick-up games with the athletic administrative staff on numerous occasions.

And being an NCAA Division I independent, despite its limited chances to make the “Big Dance” in March, didn’t faze Mills or his teammates at the time. “You were playing Division I basketball. It was about loving what you were doing with the teammates you were doing it with,” said Mills.

His fourth year he managed to stay healthy and start all 28 games in 1989-90, averaging 6.6 points per game. He also dished out a team-best 135 assists, including one to Simmons that resulted in a game-winning, buzzer-beating shot at home versus George Washington.

Academically, Mills flourished. He changed his major from engineering to economics (his parents forgave him) and became a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American candidate. Upon graduating he earned a fellowship for an 18-month MBA program at the University of Pittsburgh, then went to work at PNC Bank  and advanced quickly within the company in northeast Pennsylvania and the New Jersey regions.

During his tenure in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area, he met his future wife, Maureen, and the couple married in 1997. For several years, he shuttled between New Jersey during the week and Pennsylvania on the weekends before joining his wife in her family’s petroleum oil distribution business in 2000 when their first daughter was born. In 2004, Mills and his wife bought the business, grew it for eight years throughout the Mid-Atlantic, and then sold it to PetroChoice, a Greenbriar company. For the next three years, Mills served as PetroChoice’s Chief Strategic Officer.  

Mills is currently “semi-retired,” although he bought into the New York Yankees’ Triple A International League affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (SWB) RailRiders, and has served as the day-to-day partner for the past three years. The RailRiders won the Triple A National Championship in 2016 and have won the International League North title the past three seasons.

Additionally, Mills started the SWB Pinstripe Foundation for the SWB Railriders. He serves as its president, raising money for underprivileged and underserved children in Northeast Pennsylvania and additionally raises money for cancer research with Stand Up for Cancer.  

The couple has three girls –  Morgan 17, Maggie, 14, and Brooke, 8 –  who all play basketball. Barring conflicts, Bobby never misses a game, having coached the girls through their amateur careers.

Mills said he was thrilled when Ryan Odom was hired as the new head coach of his alma mater in the spring of 2016. He knew Odom’s father, Dave, from his days working as a counselor at Five Star Basketball Camp where the elder Odom served as the head coach for a number of years.

“Ryan reached out to me the day he got the job through Coach Bzdelik,” said Mills.  “He’s a great person, easy to relate to and is a fabulous coach.  He is somebody I would have loved to play for.”

Mills has also built relationships with director of athletics Tim Hall and head women’s basketball coach Phil Stern and is thrilled that the programs will be moving across the street to a great basketball facility in the UMBC Event Center.

“UMBC has a bright future,” he said. “There are great people there; the key is keeping in touch with the former athletes and letting them know the great things the university is doing.”

Feeling a little out of shape? Catch yourself panting after climbing up the stairs? Look no further than your alma mater to get you back on track!

The Retriever Athletic Center, otherwise known as the RAC, has everything a retriever needs to get in shape. Our great facilities, such as a cardio balcony, a newly renovated weight room, an indoor track, three full-sized basketball courts, and two pools — an outdoor, 50 meter, Olympic-sized pool, and an indoor 8-lane pool — will leave you drooling. If you find yourself wanting to chase after some tennis balls, there are five available tennis courts fit for any Retriever open until 9:45 p.m. daily. Simply call ahead to reserve a court.

Fellow dawgs can purchase a year-round membership for $250, or opt for 6-month, 3-month, or 1-month memberships at a discounted rate. All memberships include full access to all RAC facilities. Lockers and locker rooms are available to RAC members, as well as passes for those who wish to bring a friend. If you aren’t sure if you’d like to commit to a membership, just drop by and request a tour!

Fill out your membership form today!

During John Goedeke’s first year on the UMBC basketball team, the players lost all but five games. The year was 1975, and all of the players were freshmen and sophomores.
“UMBC wasn’t even ten years old, but it was a challenge and an opportunity, and I welcomed that,” said Goedeke ’79, economics, who had turned down recruiters from big name basketball schools like Ohio State and the University of Maryland, College Park, for a spot on a fledgling team with coaches he really admired.
Over his college years, however, the team made an amazing turn. By the time his senior year rolled around, the Retrievers had advanced to the final eight in NCAA Division II, the university’s first NCAA appearance.
In the wake of UMBC’s recent success in the basketball world, Goedeke is especially proud of his alma mater.
“It’s so great to hear UMBC and NCAA tournament in the same sentence,” said Goedeke, senior vice president of commercial services at Provident Bank. “Randy Monroe has done a tremendous job, and the players that they have… you have to give them all the credit. I couldn’t say anything to diminish their accomplishments. We’re all so proud.”
Then and Now
As a member of UMBC’s first championship basketball team, Goedeke saw how athletic success built school spirit. “The biggest thing was in the stands. By our senior year, people were really coming out,” he said. “Having that success was very gratifying. It was a tremendous sense of accomplishment.”
“We also didn’t have the alumni support like UMBC does now,” he said, reflecting on the crowd that packed the RAC Arena to watch UMBC beat Hartford for the America East title this past March and the more than 500 fans who traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to cheer the team on at the NCAA’s.
After graduation, the academic All-American was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. Although he didn’t make the final cut, he got the chance of a lifetime – to play professional basketball for Team Talbot, a Division I team in England.
“It was such a great experience,” he said. After a year in the UK, Goedeke headed back to Charm City with his wife, Jan, to start his business career at Provident, where he has spent 28 years. After a few years in the workforce, he earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins.
As a local UMBC alumnus, Goedeke likes to stay involved in campus activities. He continues to support Retriever athletics and is a member of the Alumni Campaign Cabinet.
“I’m always happy to come back,” said Goedeke, whose son, Kevin, plays defense for the UMBC men’s lacrosse team.
As the father of a student athlete, he can see the positive impact sports can have over a lifetime.
“Sports teaches you very important life lessons,” he said. “You learn to work with others, and you learn to work through difficult times. You learn how to deal with adversity, you learn how to deal with success, and you learn how to deal with a lot of different people.”
Where does Goedeke plan to be next fall when the UMBC basketball season starts up again? You should be able to find him in the RAC, cheering on his Retrievers.
– Melissa Gilden ’10
Originally posted April 2008

During John Goedeke’s first year on the UMBC basketball team, the players lost all but five games. The year was 1975, and all of the players were freshmen and sophomores.

“UMBC wasn’t even ten years old, but it was a challenge and an opportunity, and I welcomed that,” said Goedeke ’79, economics, who had turned down recruiters from big name basketball schools like Ohio State and the University of Maryland, College Park, for a spot on a fledgling team with coaches he really admired.

Over his college years, however, the team made an amazing turn. By the time his senior year rolled around, the Retrievers had advanced to the final eight in NCAA Division II, the university’s first NCAA appearance.

In the wake of UMBC’s recent success in the basketball world, Goedeke is especially proud of his alma mater.

“It’s so great to hear UMBC and NCAA tournament in the same sentence,” said Goedeke, senior vice president of commercial services at Provident Bank. “Randy Monroe has done a tremendous job, and the players that they have… you have to give them all the credit. I couldn’t say anything to diminish their accomplishments. We’re all so proud.”

Then and Now

As a member of UMBC’s first championship basketball team, Goedeke saw how athletic success built school spirit. “The biggest thing was in the stands. By our senior year, people were really coming out,” he said. “Having that success was very gratifying. It was a tremendous sense of accomplishment.”

“We also didn’t have the alumni support like UMBC does now,” he said, reflecting on the crowd that packed the RAC Arena to watch UMBC beat Hartford for the America East title this past March and the more than 500 fans who traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to cheer the team on at the NCAA’s.

After graduation, the academic All-American was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. Although he didn’t make the final cut, he got the chance of a lifetime – to play professional basketball for Team Talbot, a Division I team in England.

“It was such a great experience,” he said. After a year in the UK, Goedeke headed back to Charm City with his wife, Jan, to start his business career at Provident, where he has spent 28 years. After a few years in the workforce, he earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins.

As a local UMBC alumnus, Goedeke likes to stay involved in campus activities. He continues to support Retriever athletics and is a member of the Alumni Campaign Cabinet.

“I’m always happy to come back,” said Goedeke, whose son, Kevin, plays defense for the UMBC men’s lacrosse team.

As the father of a student athlete, he can see the positive impact sports can have over a lifetime.

“Sports teaches you very important life lessons,” he said. “You learn to work with others, and you learn to work through difficult times. You learn how to deal with adversity, you learn how to deal with success, and you learn how to deal with a lot of different people.”

Where does Goedeke plan to be next fall when the UMBC basketball season starts up again? You should be able to find him in the RAC, cheering on his Retrievers.

– Melissa Gilden ’10
Originally posted April 2008