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If you ask those closest to me what my biggest fear is, you’ll likely get one of two answers: Snakes, or being told there’s a meeting without knowing what the meeting is about.

Every Tuesday, I head to the Sanford Center to knock out mid-week Bemidji State men’s and women’s hockey interviews. Last Tuesday went a little differently than the rest.

Typically, I walk in one of the back doors and head straight to the media room. I chat with Lakeland’s Charlie Yaeger about some nonsense and give Brian Schultz of the Beaver Radio Network an earful about how much I can’t stand his Green Bay Packers.

The women’s team’s interviews go first, then the men’s representatives step in about a half hour later. However, because the men’s team was on a bye week, my chat with head coach Tom Serratore went a little differently.

The plan was to get comments from him about his career path and what it was like to take over a program that transitioned to the Division I ranks 23 years ago. It was a perspective piece to help preview Bemidji State’s first-ever series against Augustana — a brand new D-I men’s hockey team.

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Beavers Hockey

Tom Serratore, Garrett Raboin reflect on career paths ahead of first head coaching matchup

Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore was picked to succeed Bob Peters during the Beavers' transition to Division I. Now, as Augustana is set to make its first hockey trip to Bemidji, Garrett Raboin is going through many of the firsts Serratore did 23 years ago.

Dec 31, 1969

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By  Jared Rubado

Instead of coming into the media room, Serratore asked if we could speak in his office.

The short walk through the hallways of the Sanford Center felt like it took forever. Why does he want to speak with me in his office? Did I do something that needed to be addressed in private?

Like any constant overthinker knows, it turned out to be nothing. The interview was one of my favorites I’ve done with him so far, and we did it from the comfort of the furniture in a laid-back setting.

One thing he said during our talk stuck with me after I left the building. I asked him if he ever doubted himself or the process it took to get Bemidji State hockey to its current status. He said there are times when those thoughts are inevitable, but you have to trust and be confident in yourself to get through them.

That sentiment hit home for me.

See, I uprooted my life in Detroit Lakes a year ago to move to Bemidji to be the Pioneer’s sports editor. On the surface, it was a no-brainer of a decision. for as long as I can remember. Being a 27-year-old sports editor who gets to cover D-I hockey — who says no to that?

But moving is risky, especially in my line of work. As a sports writer, your relationships are everything. You can be the most talented writer on this planet, but you won’t amount to anything if you can’t cultivate meaningful relationships. So, to start over from scratch and have to rebuild all of those relationships with different people here was a daunting thought.

I’ve had struggles with anxiety ever since I was in high school. I’m very introverted, even if it seems like I’m not. Sometimes, making a phone call or introducing myself to a stranger feels heavier than lifting a car off the ground. But this job forces you to trust yourself, which means believing in yourself to push through those tough moments.

Serratore said another thing in our conversation that resonated with me. He said that coaching rarely feels like a job to him.

I feel the same way about my job. I routinely think to myself about how lucky I am to get to do this for a living. I get to watch games and tell stories about incredible people. I’ve made so many sacrifices to get here, and when I look down from the press box at the Sanford Center and see hundreds, sometimes thousands of people watching a game I’m covering, I get goosebumps.

I always want my reporting to be honest and thoughtful. I want my work to reflect my appreciation for this opportunity to be here in Bemidji, covering all of these teams with so many remarkable people. Community news isn’t possible without the efforts of a dedicated community.

I’m not perfect, and I’m going to make mistakes. It comes with the territory of this job. But I won’t be outworked, and I’ll never lose sight of how fortunate I am to be here in a place that gives me a chance to live out my dream.