Hello and happy new year to all FDU Knights, alumni, family and friends.
This is the inaugural "From the Director" note sponsored by Yellow Book. Each month I will share with you my thoughts regarding the exploits and progress of our athletic teams, and my thoughts on intercollegiate athletics. I welcome this opportunity to keep you up to date as well as to share some insights and tidbits to help you better follow our knights.
We have just concluded the fall semester and while we are still waiting for some grades the early returns indicate it was another great term. Our student-athletes continue to accept the challenge of being the best people, the best students and the best athletes they can be. Credit the coaching staff too for recruiting and nurturing fine people who enhance not only the athletic department, they make significant contributions on campus as well. Several of our student-athletes are active in student-government, in clubs and organizations on campus and in the honors program as well. We are very proud of them
Not a day goes by that I meet someone for the first time and when they learn that I have the good fortune to be the athletic director at an NCAA Division I institution that they ask me what is our best team or what are we famous for. They expect me to respond with teams that have the best win loss record or which teams excel in NCAA tournament play or to reel of the names of the athletes now playing in the NBA or professional baseball. My standard response is to talk about the impressive students we have in our programs and the remarkable contributions our athletic alumni make in their jobs, communities and to charitable organizations. To me that is the value of the collegiate athletic experience. Student-athletes learn to test themselves daily in school, on the field or court, socially and personally each day. They learn to win with grace and lose with dignity. They understand that individually and collectively they are worth more than the score or the win/loss record or grade report indicates. As our student-athletes progress towards graduation they develop an affection and affiliation with faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the institution. When they reflect on their student-athlete experience after graduation those memories are mostly of the relationships they made: team-mates, coaches, trainers, academic support staff, clerical and equipment staff, administrators, family members of team-mates and even some officials.
At Fairleigh Dickinson what we are known for is our appreciation and regard for the contributions each individual makes to improve the quality of life for our student-athletes. We are known for the value our alumni place on integrating into their communities as volunteers, helpers and being good neighbors. That is what being a Knight is all about.
