When Cary Bulls assistant coach Josh Kennedy laces up his cleats for a game, it’s a far cry from the Navy boots he once donned.

Kennedy, a U.S. Navy veteran and a senior sports management major at N.C. State, is using this summer to intern with the Bulls, one of two Jr. American Legion teams affiliated with Cary Post 67. An eight-credit internship is required for graduation, and when Kennedy spotted an opening for a coach with the Bulls, he immediately applied and was accepted.

“I think it’s great. The kids are great and that’s what I enjoy the most,” said Kennedy. “There is just something great about being outside in the summer playing baseball again.”

So far this season, the Bulls have gone 40-4 and will participate in the State championships next week in Cherryville.

“I absolutely have a lot of fun being a part of the Bulls and coaching,” said Kennedy. “It made my whole summer. It’s gotten me a lot more excited for finishing up this next semester.”

While with the Bulls, Kennedy has been learning from Ron Powell, who has been coaching with the Bulls organization since it formed in 1996.

“Coach Powell knows more than anyone I’ve ever met about baseball,” said Kennedy. “So I just sit and watch him coach.”

Powell said the admiration is mutual.

“He’s a great young man. He’s been a very positive influence on our program,” Powell said. “He’s kind of a liaison between the coaches and the players. He is a young guy who relates well to the players and the players relate well to him.”

As part of the internship, each intern is expected to take on one special project. For Kennedy, that opportunity presented itself this past weekend, when he served as tournament director for the American Legion Eastern State Qualifier. Powell suggested that Kennedy take the position after learning Post 67 athletic officer Don Daniels had to be out of town.

“I want to do as much as I can, learn as much as I can about the job. It’s all about getting experience,” said Kennedy in regard to his job this weekend. As tournament director, he was responsible for organizing volunteers to sell tickets, work concessions and run the scoreboard, as well as paying the umpires and communicating with all the teams that participated.

While he may feel at home in Cary, Kennedy has traveled a long road from his tiny hometown of Gouverneur, N.Y. In high school, Kennedy was a three-sport athlete, lettering in football, wrestling and baseball. After two years of college, he enlisted in the Navy.

“I just wanted to serve my country and see the world a little bit,” Kennedy said. “The Navy gave me a lot of opportunities. Coming from a small mining town in upstate New York, there weren’t a lot of opportunities.”

While in the Navy, Kennedy was stationed in Hawaii and specialized in special signals analysis. During his five-year service, he traveled to places like Japan, Guam and even the Middle East. By the end of his service, he was in charge of a 60-man division.

“Joining the military just helped me become a better leader. That’s why I want to get into coaching: to be a leader and to impact people’s lives,” Kennedy said.

After his discharge from the service, Kennedy moved to Raleigh with a friend and applied to N.C. State. He is majoring in sports management, with a minor in coaching education. After graduation in December, Kennedy hopes to get a job with Raleigh Parks and Recreation and stay in the area. He also wants to continue coaching.

“Right now I’m just looking forward to getting another job and getting done with the school work,” he said.