This week in the world of intramural sports we are highlighting some of our most dedicated employees—the leaders of the pack. Our seniors, Giana DeAcetis and Bergomi Francois, have put in years of effort in the transformation of our program and continue to lead the rest of us to do the same. They have set great examples of leadership, dedication, and school spirit, and have been the foundation of our improving program since they started here.
DeAcetis is a nursing major graduating this May. She has worked at intramurals since her freshman year here at the University of Massachusetts Boston. During her time working for us, she climbed the ladder and is one of the three supervisors of the group. Our other supervisor and senior, Francois, is graduating in December with a degree in exercise and health science. Participating in countless intramural tournaments, officiating clinics and recreation events over the years, they have represented UMass Boston all around New England, and we are lucky to have had such good representation of our programs.
The influence they have on their fellow coworkers is undeniable. One of our newest team members, Bryce Mileski, said, “Bergomi and Giana both are very hard working individuals who have set a great example for how to carry yourself and get things done while having fun doing it.” The duo has set the standard high which translates to the rest of the staff and the players as well. A high level of respect between the officials, scorekeepers, and players is what makes our sports leagues run so smoothly.
As with any life endeavor, the effort you put into it is what you get out of it, and the two seniors are great embodiments of this. When asked what she has taken away from being on staff at intramurals, DeAcetis replied: “Working here has taught me a lot of things but probably the biggest thing I’ll take away from this job is to always make time for the things in life that you enjoy doing. This job has always been something I do because I enjoy doing it and because I love the people I work with.” Francois, responding to the same question, said: “Working at intramurals taught me to keep a calm mindset in fast paced environments. While I’ve played some of the sports prior to my intramural career, officiating offers such a different perspective. So many of our games are competitive and fast paced so learning how to clearly follow the dialogue of play while making the right calls in critical moments is something I definitely gained with experience. Keeping a cool temper in intense situations is valuable on and off the field.” Our intramural and recreation departments were very fortunate to have had such influential students on staff and wish the two best of luck on their future endeavors.