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As fans of the game of baseball, we often forget just how hard it is to put on an event where thousands of people arrive — day in, day out — to enjoy one of their favorite sports in a safe, inviting place. The level of coordination required to pull an event like this off just once has to be staggering, let alone 81 times during the regular season for each home stadium. That challenge is compounded even more when it comes to events like Opening Day.
Fans save up to experience something special on Opening Day, and with that comes heightened expectations — as well as some of the biggest crowds of the entire season. And yes, there is increased pressure on the players and coaches, but also on the front line team employees whose sole mission is to make a great experience for attendees.
Teams rely on seasoned, well-trained employees to get the job done. And for the Atlanta Braves, one of those veterans who has made Opening Day so successful over the years is lead usher supervisor Robert Bryant, whose leadership has been integral to Atlanta's game-day experience for more than three decades.
A calling to serve Braves country
Entering his 34th season with the team, Bryant has worked at every park the Braves have played in since they've been in Atlanta. It would be easy for a guy of his tenure to coast at this point, but the level of pride, passion and commitment to the Braves organization and their fans that Bryant has reminded me more of a man who was just getting started.
So what goes into preparing for the Braves' home opener? "It is probably, other than the World Series start, the most exciting day in baseball, and that is league-wide," Bryant says. "When it comes to preparation, we look at every aspect as front-liners in the guest experience as it relates to that special day, that home Opening Day.
"We're looking at infrastructure, that the ballpark is presentable, that cleanliness is to the standard we have maintained always, and that everything the guests have to interact with or pass by, sit in, or go in to — all of those things are up and ready."
The level of attention to detail was very stark here. Bryant is the Braves' lead usher supervisor, which means he oversees 12 other usher supervisors who each have 12-15 ushers under their purview. That's a lot of people to be responsible for, but Bryant still focuses on the little things — like preparing for common (and uncommon) guest questions and having procedures in place when the Georgia pollen arrives and inevitably covers the seats at Truist Park.
Ushers help with guest questions, direct fans to their seats — and move fans who have decided to "upgrade" their seats themselves. But they also play an integral role in fan safety.
"We have a capacity of around 42,000 guests that can be in the ballpark," Bryant says. "One of the biggest concerns I have in and around the stadium is safety. [You need to] weigh the factor of safety, in all capacities — and I'm not just talking about the unexpected. Just thinking about when we leave our homes and use our discretionary dollars for that entertainment experience, we hope that we are accommodated always and the foundation of 'always' is safety. That we will be able to go back home with a happy memory."
The amount of training ushers have to go through to remain vigilant is impressive. They must understand what types of behaviors to watch out for — ones that could escalate into confrontational and even dangerous situations in games — and how to defuse them. For many, it is the security staff that has the most important role when it comes to fan safety, but the usher staff are the first line of defense here, and it is a role that Bryant takes a lot of pride in.
It was striking to hear Bryant talk about working at Truist Park in such a loving way. He talked about the view fans can get from the Coca-Cola Corner, both of the field as well as of the city of Atlanta. He spoke about it like a man who was experiencing it for the first time — "pure joy," he says.
So what's his favorite Opening Day memory? That centered around the legendary employee Walter Banks who, oddly enough, has a hospitality award named after him that Bryant himself received in 2023.
"I'm going to go back to 2017," says Bryant. "2017 was a great year. 2017 was the year I retired from 39 years of service as a music educator and band director. It was also the year we opened what was then SunTrust Park.
"You know the name Walter Banks. Our VIP usher emeritus. One of the beauties on Opening Day is that fans who have been in Braves County over the entire history of the team, have gotten to know Walter intimately. It is a joy to meet three generations of a family. You've got the grandfather and the son says, 'When I was a boy my son's age, my father introduced me to Walter Banks. Now, I just want to have the opportunity to have my son, my child, my dad's grandson meet the inimitable, the par excellence in Walter Banks.'"
We often think of a team's history as being built on the field, in the clubhouse or in the front office. However, it is abundantly clear that with each Opening Day that passes, unique memories are being created for MLB fans by many long-tenured employees. For those of you who are going to Opening Day this year or in the years to come, bring your family and seek out people like Walter or Robert. Give them your thanks, and take a picture. I promise you won't regret it.