Written by Hey guys and gals, today is quite special to a lot of us, and we at #CultureInSports would be remiss if we didn’t recognize our dear friend and mentor, Robert Aflred Boland … Bob … Professor Boland … he wears many hats my friends. Bob, you have more titles than Apollo Creed. (Watch Rocky, folks, you’ll understand the reference)
Honestly, who hasn’t been inspired by a mentor? To me, such inspiration seems self-evident; I believe all of us have experienced being inspired to such a degree that it moves us completely. Bob Boland (yeah, I am going to forego all the titles that I have for him, he insists on being called Bob usually) embodies a mentor who creates not only an academically healthy environment, but also looks out for what is best for sports in general.
I took a course with Bob at Penn State Law, and he somehow made it feel natural even though we were under COVID protocols and were remote for our classes. Bob made our class feel respected and appreciated, plus we got the opportunity to talk about such a variety of sports. It was awesome; Bob taught us the law and used current sport team issues to illustrate practical examples. Moreover, he took the time to appreciate individual sports and not solely team sports.
Now what does this have to do with Sport Culture. The answer is: it has everything to do with it.
Sometimes I think that the work done behind the scenes goes unnoticed. A positive Sport Culture is created by someone like Bob, who preaches about the uniqueness of an individual. To me, that sentiment needs to be spread to more people, because Bob embodies success otherwise, but has never forgot what it means to love the game, no matter the sport. (I mean come on; he knew what pole-vaulting was before I met him … not often does anyone know that)
I will admit that this article is slightly self-serving, because Bob is a renowned person to me and I kind of want to brag that he was (and still is) my friend and mentor. It is an altruism that people like Bob, who educate students and athletes on what it means to be a sportsman / sportswoman … well that person is an integral part of Sport Culture. When one can be lucky enough to have a mentor that guides them through sports issues – legally, professionally, and in my case personally as well … come on audience, whomever that person is will always be just awesome.
Happy Birthday, Bob. You are beloved by so many. It’s been our honor to be taught to be ethical, honorable, and friendly in not only Sport, but also in life. We love you dearly.
Cheers to you Bob, and as always, Cheers to Sports everyone.
Pictured Above: Professor Robert “Bob” Boland