A regular column by Athletic Director Bill Husak.
Sept. 2003
"Building Champions" is our Athletics Department motto for this year. It states clearly our active commitment to establish a sound base from which our student-athletes can achieve their athletic, academic and personal dreams. There is no equivocation in what the athletic goal is - it is to win championships. We also believe these aspirations serve as the best examples of what Loyola Marymount offers to the young people who decide to become Lions.
Part of my role as the Athletics Director is to articulate the vision for our program. For me, that vision includes using my background, knowledge and experience to voice to others what the future may hold for Lions Athletics - what is possible, what to expect and how we should view ourselves. A part of this vision has been included in the University's Capital Campaign.
In the process of discussing our future plans for the program, we have found a committed group of people who share in the belief of what LMU athletics can become. They have committed to making this dream a reality. This group comprises the Athletics Director's Council (ADC) and has begun the effort to raise the dollars to secure the future success for our teams.
The ADC members include William J. Del Biaggio '89, Joseph Bronson, Anthony Delfino '52, David Jay Flood, Robert Forgnone '70, Albert H. Gersten, II '74, Albert G. Kading '72, Vincent Lombardo '66, Rudy Mendoza '76, Paul Mikos '66, Edison Miyawaki '52, Ron Okum, and Clarence Shields, Jr. '62. As you can see, some are graduates of LMU and others are individuals who believe in the Jesuit and Marymount educational traditions and the role that athletics plays in that process. This group has banded together and promised their time, energy and resources to help build new facilities and add to the endowment of the program. We are all grateful for their efforts, but in particular the student-athletes who are here and those to come in the future will be the benefactors of the ADC generosity.
LMU Athletics is gaining momentum. It is not a false bravado consisting mainly of words. Those who are close feel the growing strength of the program's pulse and see the gains in every area. We are not in a period of decline, or even maintenance. It is an era of growth for the Lions, and we are so happy that you are a part of it. Thank you for the multiple ways win which you contribute to this momentum.
Go Lions!
Bill
