Max Gordon - Men's Basketball

Max Gordon is a captain for the 2011 Carnegie Mellon men's basketball team. Max is a business administration and professional writing major and a member of the Carnegie Mellon Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

I can definitely say playing basketball at Carnegie Mellon has completed my college experience. Coming out of high school, I knew I would keep playing basketball in college, but I didn’t know how much of an impact it would have on my life on and off the court. Being a part of the athletics community at CMU has given me opportunities that only a select few get to have.

It all starts with the friendships I’ve built through basketball. Every year our team is extremely close and many of my teammates will be lifelong friends. It’s gone by so fast and it seems like I went from wide-eyed freshman to senior captain in a heartbeat. I’ve certainly enjoyed it. Taking on a leadership role has been great and the best part is seeing younger players on our team develop because they will carry the program into the future.

I’ve also been just as involved in the athletic community as I have been with my team. Our athletics department is one big team and encourages excellence on and off the court. Being a member of SAAC has given me the opportunity to promote athletics on campus and give back to the community. Writing blogs for the athletics website has been one of the most rewarding and entertaining things I’ve done at CMU.

Finally, traveling to play basketball is a very fun and unique experience, and one of the reasons the UAA is so special. We go to cities such as Boston, New York, and Chicago every single year. We’ve also been to Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee in my four years here as well. Obviously it’s awesome to play teams from all over the country, but it’s just as cool to experience, explore, and enjoy the cities.

Being a college athlete is a huge commitment, but is incredibly rewarding. I’ve played four more years of basketball, flown all over the country just to play a game, built long-lasting friendships, and become a leader in the athletics community, all while getting a great education. You can’t ask for much more than that.