Third-year OLS student Logan Kassebaum has found community, leadership, and career experience as a team manager with Bellevue College Athletics. Through his work with Men’s Basketball and Baseball, Logan is building professional skills and confidence that support his long-term goals in sports management.
As the Bellevue College Men’s Basketball Team warms up on the court and the bleachers start filling up, you’ll find OLS Bellevue College student Logan Kassebaum hard at work getting things ready for game time. He’s organizing equipment, setting up water, checking in with coaches, and making sure details behind the scenes are ready for tip-off.
That’s what being a team manager is all about, and it’s a role Logan has ample experience with. It’s also part of his larger career goal after he graduates from the OLS program.
Logan first learned about OLS during his sophomore year of high school, while colleges were hosting virtual events during COVID. His family explored multiple options, but OLS stood out because it offered internships, on-campus living, and the chance to stay closer to home.
However, the transition to campus during a quiet, post-pandemic year wasn’t easy.
“There wasn’t much to do on campus freshman year,” Logan said with a laugh. “I’m a big people person, and I needed something else to do.”
That search for connection—coupled with his career goal in sports management—led him to reach out to BC Athletics.
In high school, Logan had been a team manager for the cross-country and track teams. He enjoyed the structure and sense of belonging it brought, and he decided to try to do it for Bellevue College.
His approach was simple: he emailed every coach he could find.
“I introduced myself, explained what I was interested in, and asked if I could help,” he said. “The soccer coach replied, then baseball, and then I met the basketball coach at a volleyball game.”
By the end of that first year, Logan was officially part of BC Athletics. Today, he manages both Men’s Basketball and Baseball and supports additional athletics events whenever an extra set of hands is needed, whether that’s operating the livestream camera, running the scoreboard, managing equipment, or helping with game-day logistics.
Coaches say Logan’s reliability and attitude have made him an essential part of their teams.
“Logan approaches his role with 100 percent effort and attention to detail,” said David Olson, Co-Head Baseball Coach. “He’s a great asset. He’s not afraid to learn something new, and he pitches in wherever he’s needed.”
Head Basketball Coach Marcus Fermon concurs with Olson.
“Logan has become one of us,” he said of Logan. “He helps with practice setup, equipment management, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. He’s eager to learn, upbeat, and a real supporter of all BC athletes.”
Olson said he’s seen significant growth in Logan’s communication skills, noting that he’s taken on more responsibilities as he’s gained confidence.
“He consistently communicates schedules and completes tasks,” Olson said. “He cares about doing things right.”
Logan credits the OLS program for helping him develop the skills he uses as a team manager. Communication, time management, reliability, and other workplace and interpersonal skills are embedded in the OLS curriculum, and students practice these skills in classroom and community activities so they can learn to apply them on the job. One course in particular has helped Logan with his role at BC Athletics.
“Communication in the Workplace has helped me learn how to talk professionally with players, coaches, and staff,” he said.
He’s also learned to stay organized, manage his time, and work effectively with a team of fellow student managers. One of the biggest personal shifts has been learning to share responsibilities.
“I’ve gotten better at letting things go and passing tasks off to others,” he said. “We work together.”
That growth and confidence are especially meaningful to Logan because he wants to challenge stereotypes about people with disabilities.
“I know people have assumptions about what we can or can’t do,” he said, “but my parents always told me not to let my disabilities be a roadblock.”
When asked about his favorite moments with BC Athletics, Logan says it’s the community. The road trips to Bremerton, Edmonds, Everett, and Shoreline. The playoff trip to Pasco. The team bonding nights, like making Halloween-themed gingerbread houses at a coach’s home—complete with the coach’s kids acting as judges.
“We bribed them to vote for ours,” he said, smiling.
Moments like those are what make him feel most connected to his team.
Logan’s long-term career dream is clear: become a team or equipment manager for the Seattle Seahawks. While he doesn’t graduate until 2027, he is already finding opportunities for his post-graduation future.
“I’ve looked at what those jobs require,” he said. “A lot of it is experience, working with college teams. That’s what I’m building now.”
For anyone hoping to get involved or explore leadership roles on campus, Logan’s advice is simple.
“Get out of your comfort zone,” he said. “Have the willingness and drive to talk to someone and ask for something you want to do. Just try.”
It’s a mindset that has carried him from a quiet first year to becoming a trusted part of BC Athletics—and it’s one he’ll continue to foster for the rest of his time with OLS and beyond.
Occupational & Life Skills Bellevue College (OLSBC) is an associate degree program for neurodiverse students with learning disabilities. In our uniquely supportive skills-based program, students apply academic knowledge through community activities, service learning, and social experiences. Students identify a career pathway, gain marketable, workplace-ready competencies, develop better interpersonal skills, and complete an internship in alignment with their career goals.
Learn more about our program at an upcoming Information Session, open to all prospective students, family members/guardians, educators, counselors, and other service providers. Come learn why OLS Bellevue College is one of the best colleges for students with learning disabilities.