May 2008
Hello Lancers,
The month of April certainly was an exciting period of time for me as I was named the permanent Director of Athletics for Longwood University. Personally, I am truly humbled and honored to represent Longwood but this appointment was only made possible by the student-athletes, coaches, and staff with whom I have had the great fortune of working with this past year and a half. I have benefited from everyone’s efforts in the NCAA Certification and Reclassification process, on the field, and in the classroom.
Life on campus has been bittersweet for our student-athletes, coaches, and staff as they closeout the 2007-08 academic year and we bid farewell to our senior class. It is difficult to watch a group leave that has accomplished so much to make Division I Athletics our reality.
This group has witnessed a great deal of transition during their time at Longwood. Over the past four years, the Department has undergone tremendous growth and the experiences of the student-athletes have varied as a result. In the end, this group of seniors has proven, regardless of the circumstances, that they will work hard to attain success as evidenced by the track record they leave behind.
Take for instance, the seniors on the field hockey team, who spent their first two years as student-athletes without a home field. They treated this significant inconvenience as a minor detail, traveling back and forth to Richmond and Virginia Beach to “host” visiting teams. They made the best of those two years and truly appreciate the fine facility they now reside in.
The achievements our seniors have garnered also detail, in part, their story as Longwood Lancers:
Player of the Week Honors – 22
All-Academic Honors – 20
All-Conference or All-Independent Honors – 18
All-Tournament Team Honors – 6
All-State Honors – 6
Longwood Student-Athletes of the Year – 3
Players of the Year (Independent, freshmen) – 3
Regional All-America Honors – 2
ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors – 1
As I noted, these awards are just part of why the coaches and staff will miss this group of seniors. What truly makes these individuals special is their commitment to the institution; they've sacrificed social experiences to represent Longwood and its ideals.
These shared moments with the seniors make it difficult to watch them prepare for graduation. However, we are truly excited for what the future holds for this group because they have already demonstrated to be winners.
