Staff Spotlight: Nagle Pursues Passions for Service, Sports

06/08/2018

Whether it’s basketball, baseball or golf, sports have been a way for Jeremy Nagle to live out his passions while giving back to others.

Nagle, web content developer for the College of Arts and Sciences, spends most of his nights and weekends volunteering. He’s a longtime volunteer with Team Activities for Special Kids (TASK), a local nonprofit that gives kids with challenges from autism to Down syndrome a chance to play and grow competitively.

More recently, he’s also become a regular on St. Louis airways with MindsEye, a radio station that reaches people with visual impairments within a 75-mile radius of St. Louis. A communication major with an emphasis in radio broadcasting, Nagle began his MindsEye volunteering bringing its listeners the latest St. Louis sports news, combining three things he loves – sports, radio and service – into one Saturday morning a month.

“It’s brought my passions together,” Nagle said. “I think it’s the amount of fun that I have.”

Nagle grew up in a sports-loving household. His father had played baseball and basketball and passed both his love of sports and his abilities on to his son. The younger Nagle went on to play both sports at the college level while studying at Fontbonne University.

In 2012, his best friend’s wife asked him to take some time to work with kids learning tee ball at TASK in Fenton. Although he had no experience working with children with special needs, Nagle agreed. Six years later, he’s one of the organization’s mainstay volunteers.

“Jeremy is one of those rare volunteers who can work with anyone,” Deb Fruend, TASK executive director and founder, said. “Jeremy is committed to being here and we count on his presence every week. He exhibits leadership and a calming spirit […] he is greatly appreciated and cherished for the work he does here at TASK.”

He keeps returning to TASK to coach tee ball and kick ball because of the relationships he forms with the kids, Nagle explained, and also for the looks he sees in the eyes of parents who get to see their children taking part in sports in a supportive, joyful environment. That look, he continued, reminds him of his own parents when they came out for his games growing up.

“Sports can really bring people together and especially with children with special needs, there are a lot of stereotypes,” Nagle said. “I see the same look in the eyes of the parents at TASK – the joy of watching their children run around and have fun.”

“To be able to play sports from a young age, I think it’s very important to build confidence and self-esteem,” he continued. “The most important thing TASK does is to build that confidence and self-esteem.”

While coaching takes up nights throughout Nagle’s work week, he can be found in the MindsEye recording booth on weekends. Starting just over two years ago, Nagle began logging volunteer hours with the Belleville-based radio station reading sports. He’s now become one of the station’s live broadcasters – fulfilling a college dream.

Jeremy is one of those rare volunteers who can work with anyone [...] he is greatly appreciated and cherished for the work he does here at TASK."

Deb Fruend, TASK executive director and founder

When not recording or coaching at TASK, Nagle indulges in another sports pastime – a traveling darts and golf league – weekly.

The influence sports and service have in his personal life carries through to his day-to-day work in SLU’s Verhaegen Hall. He credits the lessons learned at TASK and through MindsEye for teaching him more than the fundamentals or latest stats he shares with his kids and listeners.

“Working with children with special needs can be difficult sometimes, and it’s taught me patience,” Nagle explained. “That’s helped me with my work here at SLU – with patience, understanding, and listening to others.”

And while his sports-infused service may take up most of his free time, Nagle isn’t about to stop.

“It’s such a positive environment and everyone is having fun,” he said. “I just don’t want it to end.”

Staff Spotlight is an occasional series dedicated to revealing the stories behind the name badges of SLU's staff members. To suggest a staff member to shine a light on, contact Newslink or call 314-977-2519.