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Posted 06/27/02
I have stood at alumni events, on the sidelines with a Dartmouth team, and in the stands in support of our Dartmouth teams. I have stood on foreign soil as they played our national anthem before international lacrosse matches. But never have I been so proud as I am at this moment as your next athletic director.
I need to say a few thank yous.
To the search committee, for its hard work over the last half year;
To President Wright and Dean Larimore, for their vote of confidence;
To my predecessor Dick Jaeger, for the values he has instilled in the department and its people: fairness, camaraderie, and what so many of us have come to call "family atmosphere";
And to my many colleagues and friends, who have been such a great support.
I want us to have plenty of time for your questions. But before we do, let me say a few words about what's ahead for Dartmouth athletics and recreation.
We have a rich history to build on - and we will build on it. We can count among our strengths:
Our coaches and staff. All of these people are first-rate and respected in their fields.
The dedication of our student-athletes.
The leadership of this institution and the commitment to athletics and recreation.
And our alumni, whose loyalty to Dartmouth is legendary.
But we also have our challenges. Let me say as plainly as I can: we have some work ahead of us.
We need to make sure that every coach and student-athlete has the chance to be successful here. Dartmouth is and always has been about the pursuit of excellence in all that it does. And that, of course, includes our athletic programs. This means that we will put a greater focus on teams that have not experienced as much success in recent years as they have in the past, including football, men's basketball, and several other sports.
We also have to take a hard look at the resources that we have: particularly for recruiting, facilities, and programs.
The competition to attract and enroll the best student-athletes is more intense than it has ever been, and we need to find ways to compete in this arena, which of course will have an impact on how we compete on the playing field.
We are grateful for the new facilities and renovations that we have seen in the last few years (Scully-Fahey Field, the Skiway, Hanover Country Club, Leverone Field House, Boss Tennis Center and Gordon Pavilion, Blackman Practice Fields), but our work has just begun. During the last decade, the stakes have been raised, and today's students expect a college to provide much more for intercollegiate athletics as well as fitness and recreation than has been provided in the past. We at Dartmouth will need to make progress in this area, particularly with our extraordinarily active student population.
Let me say it again: I am pleased at the progress we have made, but we will need to do more.
We have made some strides in attempting to meet the fitness and recreation needs of our student body and the campus community. But again, we need to do more. Interest in health and fitness is at an all-time high in this country - and I don't have to tell you about the tradition that we have here at Dartmouth where more than three-fourths of our students participate in some sort of sport or recreation, as students have for generations before.
These are just some of issues that my colleagues and I - in athletics and around campus - will have to tackle in the months ahead.
I have just talked about what we need to focus on. Let me now say a few words to the people I am counting on.
To the coaches: I have worked with you, and beside you, for the last 20 years. I know how hard you all work and you have always had my respect. You also have my understanding of the pressures and constraints that you presently face. I will support you. But at the same time I am going to challenge you - as I know you will challenge me - because it is going to take the sound minds (and sound bodies) of all of us to achieve our goals.
To our students: for our varsity athletes, I hope to match your level of dedication and commitment in my own work on your behalf. To all our students, undergraduate and graduate, I know how important it is for Dartmouth to sustain and enrich its club sports, intramurals, physical education, and fitness programs.
To the faculty: in the finest tradition of the Ivy League, I want each of us to take literally the meaning of student-athlete. I want you to see athletics as a passion that is as much a passion as a thesis project or playing in the jazz ensemble. I want you to see your students on our playing fields, as I want our coaches to observe these same students in the classroom.
To the Upper Valley Community: I look forward to continuing to foster our relationship. I encourage you to attend our events and use our facilities - just as you will continue to see us, with our many outreach programs. These will flourish.
And to our alumni: your visible love for this dear College has sustained and deepened my devotion to our programs. And this feeling that one can sense continues to be a major factor in attracting the high-caliber students, coaches, faculty, and staff to this campus.
Let me close by saying that I would not have accepted this position if I were not convinced that the leadership of this institution - in particular President Wright and Dean Larimore - were as committed to meeting these challenges as I am.
Thank you.
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