Imagine living in a studio apartment and then trying to carve out space to teach yourself a new activity. That’s the situation for one member of the Pacers’ basketball staff.
A month ago, Pacers Sports & Entertainment president/COO Rick Fuson and Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard were on a teleconference with all employees and issued this challenge: What can you do to better yourself during this time?
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One individual who took the message to heart was Josh Conder, who joined the team in 2008 and was promoted to head equipment manager less than two years later. Nobody calls him Josh, though. He’s affectionately known as Country, a nickname given to him by Larry Bird, his former boss and close friend.
With more time off than he can remember having in more than two decades, Conder accepted the challenge. He decided now, away from work because of COVID-19, was the time to learn how to sew because he wanted to make masks for those who needed them most. They aren’t required in Indianapolis — at least not yet — but more residents are choosing to wear them when they leave home.
“I always wanted to learn how to sew, but I’ve never done it. I’ve tried, but it didn’t go very well,” he said, laughing. “I was like, ‘Heck I have time,’ so I tried it.”
Conder, 41, logged on to JOANN Fabric and Craft’s website and ordered everything he needed, including a sewing machine, fabric, interlacing and elastic. By April 7, everything arrived at his apartment and he wanted to get started immediately, but there was a problem.
“When they sent the machine, I don’t know if it was a defect or if I screwed something up, but I couldn’t get the bottom thread to line up with the needle thread so I had to take it to a sewing machine repair shop … and they fixed it,” Conder said.
By the next day, he started the process again. He learned how to sew by watching an instructional video on JOANN’s website and by practicing.
The first few masks weren’t right so he threw them away. After a few more, he streamlined the process and is now producing eight to 10 masks in the same 45 minutes that it took him to make the first one. He’s producing more than 20 masks each day with interlacing, which is good for nursing homes and assisted living communities.
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Equipment managers, like Conder, have taxing jobs but play an important role behind the scenes. The job requires them to arrive first and complete tasks like setting out practice gear and preparing the court. They’re the last to leave as well because cleaning up and doing laundry are parts of the job, even for the visiting team. And when there are 50-plus bags to unload at 1 a.m. after traveling, Conder is on it.
It is thankless, anonymously completed before and after the main event.
“It’s been tough,” Conder said of being away from the team. “Everything is at a standstill so I’m just missing everybody. I’m the kind of person that wants to always be doing something so it’s not my cup of tea, but I guess we got to learn how to do it for now.”
Because Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the practice facility are both closed, most are now working from home, including Conder.
“There’s a little cubby hole area that you would put maybe a dresser in,” he said of his working space. “I don’t have a dresser because I live out of a suitcase pretty much the whole year, so I got a card table and put that where the dresser would go.”
Over the last week, he’s had to place several more orders for fabric and interlacing. Among the 100-percent cotton fabric he is purchasing, there’s a Pacers design so he’s buying that up, along with checkered flags because he’s a fan of auto racing. A few players who are still in town have requested masks for their families.
Conder also wanted to help the homeless, so he connected with Shawn Holmes, a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Holmes and his unit check on the homeless daily and shared with Conder how there was a need for masks. So a batch went to Holmes to distribute when they also handed out box meals in the downtown area.
“When we go out every day, we take a couple of dozen with us to make sure that if we see somebody who wants one or needs one, we’re able to give them one of them,” Holmes said. “They’re very thankful. We’re telling them to stay spread out and wear these masks because they’re a vulnerable community and they are in close contact.
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“So we want for them to take all the precautions that they can in that regard.”
While the NBA season remains on hold, Conder plans to continue to sew masks until it’s time to go back for work.
“A few players have texted me saying it’s pretty cool what I’m doing and Myles (Turner) gave me a shout-out,” Conder said. “I’m not looking for the publicity, I’m just trying to help the community.”
And by doing his part, Conder is providing masks to those in need while learning a new craft. And his new skill may become useful in an unexpected moment when the NBA season resumes. Maybe a jersey rips and he’s without a backup, or they have a new patch for uniforms and the seamstress is unavailable.
Whatever it is, Conder will be ready. But in the meantime, hundreds of Indianapolis residents are benefitting.
(Photo of Josh Conder and Shawn Holmes: Courtesy of Conder)
