Buckeye For Life Myles Baliotti an Unsung Ohio State X-Factor

The Ohio State Buckeyes just won their first-ever Big Ten regular-season championship.

They’ve ascended the polls and power rankings. A look up and down their sideline reveals a line of players in scarlet and gray who have bought into individual roles as part of a team collective on both sides of the ball. The coaching staff, led by Nick Myers, has built a style and identity in that matches well with everyone.

And if you look in the team huddles during timeouts, you’ll see another key part of this Ohio State team — Myles Baliotti, a senior and the team’s student manager. Whiteboard in tow, Baliotti is always at the center of the action.

Baliotti has been part of the team for four years. He also has autism, which was first diagnosed when he was 2 years old. He grew up in New Canaan, Conn., a lacrosse hotbed for decades. As a child, he was and part of both the football and lacrosse teams in his hometown.

“My dad signed me up when I was 7 years old,” Baliotti said, “and I just kept playing from first grade, to high school, and now college.”

In Baliotti’s words, New Canaan “lives, breathes and dies” with lacrosse. He played and coached with New Canaan head coach Chip Buzzeo in high school before heading to Columbus.

“There were a lot of opportunities for me,” Baliotti said of his college selection process. “I could really grow my athletic passions, and there was a good opportunity with lacrosse for me [at Ohio State].”

Baliotti is in the Transition Options in Postsecondary Settings program, commonly known as TOPS, at Ohio State. It’s a two-to-four-year program for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Students take college courses, take part in social events on campus and gain work and life experience as they build toward living independently.

“There are a lot of challenges with autism, but lacrosse has helped me defy the odds. It’s helped me get where I want to be,” Baliotti said. “I was treated no differently than any other member of the team. They expected me to work just as hard, and they wanted me to contribute to the team success.”

It’s been a long road to get there. At Ohio State, Baliotti was initially connected to the program through some player relationships.

“Myles got introduced to me through Caton Johnson, and through the TOPS program, he asked to work with athletics,” said Travis Crane, Ohio State’s associate head coach who works with the defense.

Johnson was a teammate of Ryan O’Connell at North Carolina, and the O’Connells were neighbors with the Baliotti family in New Canaan.

“He really wanted to work with the team, and we said yes with open arms,” Crane said.

Myles joined the lacrosse team, but he was reserved as a freshman. He began to open up during his sophomore year when he started to get to know the players better. He spent more time around them, and he helped out more often.

Junior year arrived, and Baliotti came out of his shell. He took on a larger role with the Buckeyes and felt just like another guy on the roster. He grabbed dinner with teammates and attended events at Coach Myers’ house.

Crane said Baliotti has an “encyclopedia memory,” and his knowledge about every player and every recruit stands out.

“He’s so invested in knowing a little bit about everyone,” Crane said.

He’s also invested in every second of every game. Baliotti’s first game was against North Carolina, a game Ohio State won 8-5.

“A few timeouts, he was handing me the whiteboard, and you could see how excited he was to really be part of it in the new stadium,” Crane said. “And it was special for him, because the O’Connells were still on [North Carolina].”

Myles has a gameday routine that is a mix of both player and coach. Like the players making their way to Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium, he wears a suit. Upon arrival, he changes into his sideline gear. Then he sets up defensive cones and drills for warmups. He’s in charge of organizing all the backup sticks, too.

He’s the first guy in the handshake line when players come out for shootaround. During timeouts, he handles the whiteboard for Crane and the coaching staff to draw up plays. At practice, he also helps with cleanup of gear and the field.

For all its success this spring, Ohio State did not get off to a great start. The Buckeyes dropped their season opener, at home, to Utah on February 1. They followed with an 11-game winning streak that was snapped April 12 against Maryland.

Their win Saturday over Michigan wrapped up their first-ever Big Ten regular-season title, and Crane said Baliotti is a major part of their success.

“It’s consistent energy. Consistent positivity. The perspective he provides members of the team to play with joy,” Crane said. “If it’s a tough practice, a tough drill, he’s there to make you feel better. That resonates with our team. Joy, positivity, and perspective. I don’t think Myles has had a bad day.”

Baliotti isn’t just there for vibes. He’s plenty motivating. He also writes pregame speeches for both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

“It was a tough start, but we just kept fighting back. We keep fighting because we know we want to go to Memorial Day weekend, and we have to do whatever it takes to get there,” Baliotti said. “We don't care who the opponent is. We are going to play our best lacrosse and not give an inch.”

Baliotti sometimes gets wings at Roosters with Crane, bringing a few friends with him each time. Alumni or other coaches join at times, too. He’s fully immersed himself in the roots of the program.

But his time at Ohio State is almost over. Baliotti has garnered accolades for his contributions to the team. Incoming freshmen receive a gray shirt at Ohio State, and you have to earn your scarlet shirt. He did, just like his peers.

In October, Baliotti received the first-ever Buckeye For Life Award for the lacrosse program, recognizing his hard work and dedication to the team.

“My teammates were cheering for me,” Baliotti said. “The coaches were gracious enough to give it to me, and they felt like I earned it. When you’re the first to do something in anything, it’s pretty special.”

“When he got the Buckeye For Life Award, he gave Coach Myers the biggest hug I’ve ever seen,” Crane said.

Baliotti has also been selected to give a speech at TOPS graduation this year.

“It’s a big deal. It’s the semifinals of the Big Ten playoffs, so I had to say I hope I’m not there,” Crane said with a chuckle. “But Myles has been selected to give the keynote.”

Baliotti was accepted into a program at North Dakota State to further pursue his goals after this year. And his dream is a lofty one. He dreams of working and coaching in the NFL.

It’s a challenging goal for anyone. The NFL is the pinnacle of competition in sports particularly in the United States.

“I really would like to coach in the NFL someday,” he said “I am looking at grad schools where I can gain more football experience. Right now, I’m focused on getting an NFL job and a college football job. Autistic people can be big contributors to a team. They can contribute to society in any capacity.”

Could Baliotti really find a path to that level?

“There’s not a doubt in my mind,” Crane said. “He’s changed my life forever. He’s family for life.”