Listen to the Letters to the Herd Podcast with Tristan Amone and J.J. Duke

Dear Stags,

My name is Tristan Amone and I am a senior pitcher on the baseball team here at Fairfield. The game of baseball has taken up a large portion of my life, and being able to play at Fairfield University only made my love for the sport grow stronger. It made me so thankful that my last days on the field will be as a Stag.
 
To me, being a Stag means that you are one of the best teammates possible, which takes no skill but often is very hard to master. When walking through the athletic department or campus, you can just tell how close each team is. I learned this very quickly my freshmen year and, because of that, I tried to make our freshmen see that as well.
 
What I think would be a good piece of advice for incoming Stags would be to be grateful for everyday as an athlete. These next four years contain a great deal of work, and some days will be harder than others. But the more you say "thank you" each day will make the hard days easier. Being a student athlete is an amazing experience and being able to realize that and take it all in is so important. I think the clear advice would be to work hard and be a good teammate but that will all come naturally if you are aware of the opportunity you have as a Stag.
 
The four culture commitments of a Stag are what every student at Fairfield should follow. Stags Care, Compete, Lead, and Grow are not just qualities that an athlete would use in competition but are great tools for anyone in their lives. Personally, these qualities were embedded in me on the field. Being passionate about baseball is what made me feel like I was putting our culture commitments to work. They became second nature and I will carry them into the real world after my graduate year here at Fairfield. Using them in post Fairfield life will help me continue to strive for greater opportunities throughout my entire life.

Lastly, I hope everyone is staying safe during these crazy times. I am sure myself and every other Stag cannot wait to be back on campus. Go Stags!

Tristan Amone '20