HARROGATE, Tenn. — Robert Genno knows all about small towns and community.
 
Before arriving in Harrogate to play golf at Lincoln Memorial, Genno grew up in Washago, Ontario, Canada, a small town about 75 miles north of Toronto. Growing up in a small town prepared Genno for life in Harrogate and at LMU, so much so that he stayed on after graduation, earned his master's degree, became the full-time Assistant Golf Coach, married his college sweetheart and became a volunteer firefighter with the Harrogate Fire Department.
 
Living in Washago gave Genno a strong sense of community. His father was a volunteer firefighter and he describes Washago as a community where neighbors look out for and help each other.
 
"I came to LMU in 2011 from Washago," said Genno. "Washago makes Harrogate look like a thriving metropolis. I bet Washago doesn't have a permanent population of over a thousand."
 
The transition to Harrogate was an easy one for Genno.
 
"Washago is in an area we call cottage country," he explained. "It is about two hours north of Toronto and during the summer people come from the city to their lake houses. A good cottage has no electricity or Wi-Fi and sits around small-secluded lakes. The number of people who live there 12 months a year is very low.
 
"That's where my family settled and where I grew up," he continued. "My grandfather grew up less than a couple miles away. Ireland is where the first Genno came from in the late 1700s." 
 
GOLF OVER HOCKEY
 
Hockey is usually the sport of choice for kids in Canada, but Genno picked up a putter before a hockey stick.
 
"Both my dad and grandfather played golf and taught me how to play at a very young age," Genno recalled. "I was in golf before I started playing hockey. I started playing hockey when I was in the third or fourth grade and played all the way through school.
 
"Hockey was actually my first pursuit but I wasn't big enough, fast enough, strong enough or just good enough to go further," he said. "I played tons of hockey. Every small town has outdoor rinks and we played on the frozen ponds and lakes. It just turned out that I was better at golf than at hockey so that's the path I pursued."
 
The path to Harrogate and Lincoln Memorial started on a local course in Washago that was owned by a family whose son also played golf at Lincoln Memorial.
 
"As small a town as we are, my home course was owned by a family and I played golf with their oldest son," said Genno. "He came to Lincoln Memorial to play golf, his name is Dusty Louth. I have played golf with him and his younger brother my whole life. I was definitely familiar with the area, Lincoln Memorial and the South Atlantic Conference."
 
Through Louth and his family Genno was able to find his way to LMU.
 
"I made contact with Brian Smith in Toronto and he helps Canadian golfers get placed at U.S. colleges and universities," recalled Genno. "Brian has helped just about every Canadian golfer get placed. We came down to LMU in the fall of 2010 for a recruiting trip and also went to Queens, Lenoir-Rhyne, University of Charleston in West Virginia and some other schools.
 
"From there it is about communication and finding the place that best suits you," he said. "I immediately drew a connection to small town Harrogate. As beautiful as Queens is and was then I just could not get being here out of my mind. It is small, homey, and cozy and where I wanted to go from the start. I never saw a reason to leave. I stuck out my four years, went to graduate school, got a full time position, and just never left. The smallness of the area was never a problem for me. We have street lights here; we don't even have a stop light in Washago."
 
Having the relationship with Louth gave Genno an inside look at the golf program and made his decision to attend LMU much easier.
 
"I already knew a lot about the program and how it was run," explained Genno. "It was somewhere that I thought I could be successful. Having the practice facility on campus was huge for me. I knew that I could call Travis (Muncy, Head Coach) at 3 a.m. if I was in trouble and he would come and help me. I hope that is the same feeling we have on the team now. We are a big family and we take care of each other.
 
"Where I'm from you call your neighbor if you need help or are in trouble," he said. "That is what I have here."
 
The relationship has endured and grown over the last eight years.
 
"When Robert graduated and indicated he wanted to stick around and get into coaching I had a graduate assistant spot open and asked if he would be interested in taking it," Muncy said. "He came on board as a GA and then we eventually hired an assistant."
 
COMMUNITY BECKONED
 
Staying at LMU and working in Harrogate stirred that strong sense of community in Genno and led him to becoming a volunteer firefighter.
 
"Being from a small town, my dad was a volunteer," said Genno. "It is something I was always aware of and wanted to do for a couple of years. I never really felt like I had the time to make the commitment. I was driving home one day and I just said, 'you never really have the time unless you make the time'.
  
"On that drive I just went to Harrogate City Hall and signed up to be a firefighter," he said. "It was that kind of a split second decision. It was something that I have wanted to do for a multitude of reasons. A selfish reason is that I knew nothing about it. My father was on the fire department until I was about ten, but I knew nothing about fire safety, fire prevention or anything. I am a big believer in you cannot grow inside your comfort zone. I love everything about it. The unselfish reason is that I know the inner workings of a small community and I wanted to do my part."
 
Genno does not think twice about dropping what he is doing and responding when a call comes in.
 
"If I'm in town and the tone goes off, I'm there," Genno said. "I will never not go for a call. I would hope that if it were ever me or my wife in a car accident that the department or community would step up as well."
 
Genno and his wife, Samantha, met at LMU where she is a full time athletic trainer. Her support has made it easier for him to make being a volunteer work.
 
"Sam was also a freshman in 2011 and she sat behind me in one of our classes," recalled Genno. "We knew each other for a while and a friendship grew. During our junior year, spring 2014, we started hanging out a little more and meeting for breakfast, got closer and started dating.
 
"She went away to grad school at Columbus State in Georgia, came back and we got engaged in the spring of 2016," he continued. "We got married this past fall."
 
The commitment for a volunteer means more than just going on fire calls. It takes initial training, continuing education and meetings.
 
"There is a 60 day training period where you have to attend meetings and work around the station," Genno explained. "The 60 day period weeds out the people that don't have the commitment or don't take it seriously. There is continuing education and this summer I plan to go to the fire academy for a 64 hour training course."
 
According to Genno, half of the Harrogate department is made up of people affiliated with LMU. In Cumberland Gap, most of the volunteers are LMU DCOM students.
 
FAMILY ADJUSTMENT
 
Samantha never hesitated when Robert considered joining the fire department.
 
"I was pretty on board with the idea, but I was a little nervous," said Samantha. "I didn't know exactly what it entailed, but I was supportive."
 
The reality hit when he got his first call in the middle of the night.
 
"I think when it actually hit me was when he got a call at 2 a.m. and was gone for six hours," she recalled. "I thought to myself, 'what did I get myself into'.
 
"When that call came through it scared me to death," she said. "That pager is loud. I have gotten used to it now, but initially it terrified me. I have his location on my phone so I know where he is. He does not necessarily know where he is going when the call comes. I did not sleep the whole time he was gone that night. I have definitely adjusted from that, but that first call when he was gone for several hours I had no idea what was happening."
 
Muncy also recognizes the contribution Genno is making to the community and does not hesitate to turn him loose if a call comes during work hours.
 
"His involvement in the community is phenomenal," Muncy said. "He is one of those guys that wants to make a difference in the community. Being a firefighter is a job that many people do not want to do. I think Robert will be successful whether he sticks to coaching or becomes a full time firefighter. It is great to see young people get involved in the community and try to make a difference. I support him 100% in it. If he is at work or practice and gets a call I say go."