Go Bananas

My sons, husband, and I have been big fans of the Savannah Bananas for a while now. If you're not familiar, the Savannah Bananas are a dancing, trick-play, music-pumping, electric atmosphere baseball experience with wildly talented athletes and just plain fun. I'm aware that wasn't the most grammatically-sound sentence, but the idea and heart is all there. It's truly the Greatest Show in Sports.

So on Saturday, we donned our Banana gear and made our way out to Raymond James Football Stadium to see the Savannah Bananas play. Yes- you read that right. Football stadium.

In the ultimate moment of "seeing change as opportunity", Jesse and Emily Cole, the inventors of Banana Ball, had to pivot big-time when Hurricane Milton severely damaged Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. Instead of calling the game for the Tampa Bay area, they did what they do so well, and got creative. With their vision and the support of the Tampa Bay area, Banana Ball took over all 64,000 available seats in a football stadium.

Among the many challenges this shift presented, I imagine the task of creating the "Fan-First" atmosphere they're known for on a large scale was near the top of the list. I'd be lying if I said I didn't put my "Client Experience” work hat on as the game approached because I was so curious to see how they made the smaller-stadium magic that they have down to an art come alive on a large scale. And what they did I think translates for all of us in people-facing roles and gave some great takeaways to think about:

1. Be intentional. So how do you make people in section 300, row Z of a football stadium feel like part of the experience? Well, the game was brought to us. They had players visit our section a few times, sent their Dad-Bod dance team (the Man-anans) to get the cheers going, and had their jazz band walk around the entirety of the mezzanine during the game to set the atmosphere, even while you were standing in line to get merch or a snack. At the end of the game, Emily Cole, the owner, was at the exit thanking everyone who walked by for coming. It's the small, well thought out touches that make clients say, "They really were thinking of me and cared how I felt." I think the Bananas do this really, really well.

2. Be joyful. The joy in the space was truly contagious. I think my favorite part was Jesse Cole's face during the National Anthem. As he stood there in his yellow tux, eyes watering, you could see someone who was so genuinely joyful about where he was standing. And from there, the constant (fantastic) music, dancing (and again, wildly talented) baseball players, and hilarious intermissions (The World's Slowest Race, i.e. baby crawl race with real babies, The Running of the Gingers, i.e. 100 fair-haired individuals sprinting down the third base line) created contagious joy. That's not to say in our professional environments we need to make these things happen, but people can see and feel when you love the work you do - so don't be afraid to find ways to show them through authentic joy.

3. Create an environment of trust. If there was one thing you knew walking into the stadium, it was that we were all in on this experience together. The number of grown men in banana costumes and clothing bedecked with the yellow fruit stretched as far as you could see. When we were asked to stand and dance, we stood and danced. When we were asked to cheer, we went HARD. And so did everyone to our left and right. No one needed to feel silly because, well, we were all silly - that was the point. To experience mutual joy. To laugh WITH. The owner in a yellow tuxedo, the baseball player in cutoff shorts and a cowboy hat, the Banana Nana Dance team (it's a grandma dance team and I can't wait to join it when I meet the requirements) - there was a space for everyone, including every person in the crowd. Let's create those spaces in our work environments where everyone knows they are in it together, and valued in that space.

Overall, this was an incredible experience with my kids, and I embarrassed them multiple times with the tears of joy that happen when I think of how blessed we are to share these experiences with them. I didn't think I would take away as much as I did on a professional level, but I suppose that's part of the magic. So, in short, let's create incredible experiences for our family, friends, colleagues, and clients.

Let's go bananas.

Game On.