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Issue #4
Welcome to Locker Room Talk.
We believe that Equipment Managers are the backbone of every team. If you’ve been to enough AEMA Conventions, you’ve probably run into Nat Park, a twenty-plus year veteran at the University of Maryland. Nat represents everything Locker Room Talk was built to highlight. Dedication, humility, and a whole lot of consistency.
🎖️ Equipment Manager Spotlight
📊 How College Athletics Has Evolved
Nat’s journey into equipment began with a deep love for college athletics, especially football. As a student manager, he got a firsthand look at the work it took behind the scenes. After graduating from Maryland, he stuck around by volunteering his time and staying ready for an open role. Eventually, a contractual role opened up at Maryland, and he took it. Fast forward 23 years, and Nat’s still committed to the equipment role at Maryland, in a full-time position he’s built into a career.
The game has changed plenty since then. Football has shifted into a year-round, increasingly professional operation. Helmet tech has evolved in leaps. NIL and revenue-sharing have added complexity. But what hasn’t changed? Equipment Managers showing up for their teams. Serving athletes, serving coaches, and solving problems before they start. Nat says it best: “This is after all a customer-service oriented profession, and we all take that seriously.”
//🔑: Change is inevitable, adapting while staying true to yourself is everything.
🚗 What Drives Motivation
After two decades, Nat still shows up because he enjoys it. It’s not for the money or the hours. It’s the atmosphere. It’s watching young athletes grow into adults. It’s seeing a freshman find their voice, then hearing their name called on Draft Day. That experience never gets old.
//🔑: When you’re playing the long game, fulfillment matters more than flash. If you genuinely enjoy what you do, you’ll outlast the competition without burning out.
📦 Vendor Support
Nat has a deep appreciation for the vendors who show up to support the Athletic Equipment Managers Association. Vendors who attend the show quickly learn about the unique perspective of Equipment Managers. They understand the long days and short deadlines. The last-minute changes and year-round prep. It reminds us at Deo how similar the grind of building your own business translates to Equipment Management.
//🔑: The best partnerships are built on empathy, not just transactions.
💿 Favorite Locker Room Song
“Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne
💭 Quote of the Month
“You have to want to be doing this. If you don’t love it, you won’t last.” – Nat Park
🎗️ On behalf of Nat, we’ve donated to the Maryland SPCA, dedicated to improving the lives of pets and people through adoption, education, and community support. You can learn more here.
TL;DR: Nat Park has been a steady presence at the University of Maryland for over two decades, shaping the lives of student-athletes through hard work and humility. From volunteer beginnings to a full-time role, his story reminds us that the heart of this profession is service, and the reward is in the growth you get to witness, on and off the field.
