Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project

PUMP's mission of trying to connect young professionals in Pittsburgh is a worthy cause towards retaining young people in the City. I think their 40 under 40 is a great idea that inspires young people to press on with their work of revitalizing the City.

Two years ago, I had never heard of PUMP, or the PSL. I originally only found the PSL because a friend couldn't make his volleyball game one night and asked me to fill in. I went to the location (the Downtown YMCA) unsure of what to expect. I had played volleyball in college, but I didn't know what the level of competition would be or even the kind of people my teammates were. I went prepared to fulfill my obligation and little more. I was surprised, however, to find out that my teammates were fun and welcoming, and so were the opponents. We all came from similar backgrounds; Pittsburghers, in college or graduate school, working in the city or working in the burbs. I got to meet a lot of interesting people. And when the game started, I was impressed by the way the gameplay walked that fine line between competitive and fun - a place where you could work up a sweat and have fun doing it. In talking with some of my new friends after the game, I found out that this was only one of the sports offered by the PSL. I was intrigued. I headed out to the website. To my surprise, the PSL offered even more sports than I hoped. Indoor soccer? Co-ed basketball? They even offered dodgeball! I was excited. I signed up for one sport my first season; two sports my second. By season three, I was playing three nights a week. The sports were varied and fun; but even better, I was meeting all kinds of neat people. I became such good friends with a number of my teammates that we hung out off the court, and we kept our team together for seasons on end. As an added plus, I was getting excellent exercise and was healthier and more fit than before. Now, the PSL is a big part of my week. I captain two teams, in dodgeball and co-ed basketball, and play on two others. My job requires me to sit in front of a computer for most of the day, but I don't need to pay excess dollars to join a gym or workout group; the PSL is a great way to stay fit, meet new people, and have fun doing it. I've now played in the PSL for over two years and have loved every season of it. When you add in some of the fun ancillaries, like the end-of-season parties and the notifications of PUMP events - I would have to say that my time in the PSL has been nothing less than a blast.