The Mason Spirit

UPDATED: Online voting is now open. Vote now!

Josh Holman: The Sports Fanatic

Because he couldn’t bring Mason with him when he and his wife moved to Illinois a few years ago, Josh Holman decided to create his own shrine to his alma mater. He created a Mason Room—a green and gold man cave where he could watch all the basketball games on television. “Since I wouldn’t be able to catch every game at the Patriot Center, I wanted a place that would feel like I was almost there,” he says.

Holman, who graduated with a BA in Communication in 2001, was a member of Mason’s club football team and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Though meeting his wife at Mason was one of his fondest memories, Holman is a Mason sports junkie, and much of his passion about Mason is about athletics. While at Mason, Holman and his friends took many road trips to follow different Mason teams. He also slept outside the Patriot Center for tickets to the 1999 NCAA game against Cincinnati.

One of the first things he did after graduating was purchase season tickets to Mason men’s basketball.  He and a group of friends formed an alumni group called the Fairfax Social Club (featured in the 2007 Winter edition of the Mason Spirit), and they traveled to see both men’s and women’s basketball, as well as supporting all the other athletic programs. “The bond I have with those guys continues to this day, even though many of us are now married with children and some of us no longer live in the Northern Virginia area.”

Josh Holman proudly shows off the entrance to his Mason "man cave."

Favorite Mason Memory:

Meeting my wife. Also, even though I wasn’t a student at the time, my favorite Mason memory was probably attending the UConn game in 2006.

Why People Should Vote For You:

People should vote for me because I am Mason’s biggest fan.  The surprising thing is, the basement is only the tip of the iceberg.  As a teacher, my classroom is also decorated in Mason green and gold and even my car features a personalized Mason license plate and Mason floor mats.

If all that isn’t enough, I also spend a lot of time each week coming up with news and information for fans on my web site.  My goal is to help spread the word about the George Mason men’s basketball program and give fans a more in-depth look at the team and its players.

My wife Sarah and I look forward to the day when our two children, Tyler and Avery, become Patriots as well.  Go Mason!

—Tara Laskowski, MFA ’05

Please check the blog on Monday, July 19, to vote for Josh Holman for Mason’s Biggest Fan.