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We recently returned from my oldest’s year-ending national dance finals – I’ve bent your ear many times regarding the trials and tribulations her efforts have provided, and you always offer a nugget of great advice - encouragement and suggestions that can be put into immediate action. Just thought I’d provide a little feedback.



You might remember that she switched teams about a year ago, somewhat against my wishes since it entails substantial traveling almost every day of the week. She was also transitioning to a team with stronger talent – she was moving from being at the top of her old team to playing more of a role and just trying to fit in with this new group. In years past, she had put in work above and beyond her teammates, but her results weren’t always what she had hoped for. As this year’s competition season kicked in, she had started slacking on the extra work and had slipped a bit both from a fitness and skill standpoint. She was struggling with whether or not the extra work, dedication and focus were really worth the effort and beginning to doubt herself. After less than stellar early season results, she had hit the wall – and a turning point. She was lacking the strength, stamina and body shape necessary to perform at the level she expected. Together we discussed what was likely necessary to get back on her game. The original objective was to step it up so that she felt worthy of being on a team with so many strong competitors – she didn’t want to be the weak link.



In February, she committed to focusing on nutrition and additional work (I have learned through the years that dance is one of those activities that develops a certain level of fitness, but that it doesn’t necessarily get you into a high fitness level – you need extra work to make that happen). Early morning, before-school workouts became the norm; extra ballet classes were scheduled (ballet offers the fundamentals, like shooting free throws – not fun, but something you need to do if you want to improve); she began researching diet options and coming up with solid, nutritional meal alternatives. She began looking and feeling better and gaining confidence to boot. Results started improving – positive comments regarding her changes (body shape, stamina, strength) started rolling in.



Fast forward to July – there are a variety of national level finals that occur during the summer – her team picked a final that focused on their style of dance and offered what looked to be the best teaching/judging staff available. Typical schedule over 7 days was 7:00am class work that lasted through noon; then audition work (for individual scholarship and skills competition) till mid-afternoon; then team and individual judged competition till midnight or, in some cases, early morning. The teaching/judging staff was comprised primarily of professionals from prominent performing groups and top-level choreographers.



As the week started, she felt a bit intimidated by it all – but she kept coming back to the fact that she had done all she could to prepare – she’d done the hard work and all that was left was going out and doing the best she could. Before long, she was starting to get noticed and pulled out to demonstrate in the classes. This bolstered her confidence even more and you could really see a transformation taking place – she was so prepared, fit and professional – she kept going strong when it would have been easy to break down or start to fade.



Making a real long story short (sorry for rambling), her team was the top performer, and she ended up winning title in her age group, and getting a nice scholarship to continue training with the show choreographers and teachers.



Again, sorry to ramble, but I had admonished her to follow up with folks who helped her throughout the year – and thought I’d better walk the walk by contacting you to send thanks for listening and helping throughout the past few years – you’ve helped me sort out some sticky issues. Boiling things down to a few key points, here’s what I think she learned:

Don’t be afraid to take a chance – put yourself out there if you feel it’s the right thing to do.
Hard work pays off – maybe not right away and maybe not always to the level you’d like – but it does pay off.
Habits can be good – making the extra work part of your daily life builds and shapes you – not necessarily quickly, but eventually.
Have confidence – her season and finals week just kept getting better because her confidence compounded like money in the bank.
Be patient – set realistic expectations, create a plan and follow through – don’t look for huge results immediately, but know that what you’re doing will eventually pay off.
Be professional – when everyone else is struggling, stay focused and positive – you create a place for yourself when you approach your craft/sport with a sense of respect and diligence – even if you don’t have the skills someone else might possess, being a positive, focused worker goes a long way towards finding a spot on the team.


From a parent’s point of view, I think I’ve learned:

Trust – I wasn’t sure that all of this change was good, but she had a sense it was the right thing to do – I’m glad I allowed her to take a chance, that she slipped toward failure, then grew in ways I never would have imagined.
Know your place – I was there for the pre-work, the behind-the-scenes support and motivation – I stayed out of the way when it came to working with choreographers and teachers (had to bite my tongue from time to time) – and when it was her turn to shine, it was all hers – and I couldn’t have been prouder.



We are all so proud of our men’s basketball team for its performance in the NCAA tournament. But it was a triumph for the University as well as for the team.

A friend said to me, “Duke won the game, but Butler won the hearts of the nation.”

A president of an educational foundation wrote, “This team, its coaches and staff reflect the character and perseverance that define the Butler University experience. It was a privilege being there to witness a very special team, and to appreciate how the educational values of an institution can be so perfectly reflected in the accomplishments of its athletes.”

A fellow university president emailed, “When the announcers were pointing out that there were two Academic All-Americans on the floor tonight and both of them were from Butler, and that eight of your players were in class this morning, I swelled with pride. This is what intercollegiate athletics is all about. I am a member of the NCAA Board now and we are struggling with what is appropriate for college sports. All we need do is look to Butler and we have our answer.”

In preparing for the Celebration Rally the day after the Championship Game, I wanted to say something to the players, who were still hurting over their loss. I wanted to put into perspective what they had done for themselves and the University. This is what I said: We’re gathered together to express our appreciation to you, the players and coaches responsible for this year’s remarkable season. You’ve raised the ceiling of Butler basketball to unprecedented heights. Last night, you left everything on the floor in an epic championship game.

As competitors, you play to win. There’s nothing we can say to assuage the pain of the loss; only time will do that. But as Coach Stevens did in the locker room last night, I do want to remind you of what you have gained this season.

You have forged a bond with one another that will never be broken. You’ve worked together to be a winning team, and you achieved that to a degree beyond any team in Butler basketball history. It’s not simply about records; it’s about being there for one another, knowing that each teammate could be trusted to play his role. As Shakespeare’s Henry V said, you few, you happy few, you are a band of brothers. That bond you will have for all your days.

And beyond that special bond, you have cemented the community of your fellow students. While waiting for your return from Salt Lake City, I conversed with a student who told me this. An acquaintance of hers at Syracuse talked about “when Syracuse wins.” She would talk about “when we won.” And she realized that at Syracuse, sighting a basketball player was a rare event. At Butler, three of you were in her classes. She concluded, “I’m not just rooting for my team; I’m rooting for my friends.” You are an integral part of the campus community. In reunions to come, you will return to friends beyond reckoning.

And beyond your fellow students, you have the gratitude of Butler friends and alumni around the world. Your feats on the court have provided respite to an alumnus in Iraq. Your supporters in New Zealand, in Europe, even on a ship at sea, found ways to follow your journey in this Tournament. Matt White, in the last stages of Lou Gehrig’s disease, asked to be with you in Indianapolis to root for you. As he gave you inspiration, so did you give him joy.

That in the midst of this week’s pandemonium you still attended classes has become a byword of how excellence in athletics and academics is compatible. College presidents have written about how your example stands for all the schools that seek to do right by their students. Commentator Pat Forde wrote this morning, “But Butler wins, too. And the maligned sport of college basketball, a greasy enterprise in recent times, wins a renewed level of nobility. And every small school wins the license to dream Butler dreams.”

And finally, you have permanently altered the profile of your University. Vice President for Enrollment Tom Weede said, “One hundred percent of students will never apply to a university of whom they’ve never heard.” Going forward, far fewer people will ask, “In what state is Butler located?” Because of what you have done, Butler has become an example of academic and athletic excellence. Because of what you have done, in the years to come, many more students will aspire to come to Butler, some to be athletes, others to be artists, and scientists, and educators. Because of what you have done, more people will better appreciate achieving difficult things by doing the right thing, by doing them the Butler Way.

These are what you have achieved this season. These are the gifts you have given to us. To echo Winston Churchill, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.” For all these reasons, let all of us here today stand and applaud what you have done.

Dr. Bobby Fong
President, Butler University

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