Princeton University Athletics
Senior Athletic Banquet: Keynote Addresses
August 01, 2000 | General
Hello, everyone. I want to start off by saying that I am very honored to be able to talk here. Almost all of my best friends are [here], and I have a tremendous amount of respect for everybody [present this evening]. All of you are some of the hardest working, talented and determined people I've ever met. I also want to say that because I know a lot of you, I know that you are a tough crowd so I'm a bit nervous that one dumb word and I'll be yanked off the stage faster than Coach sometimes yanked me off the court. Nevertheless I think I'll go ahead and take my chances.
Basically I'd like to talk about my four years here as a student-athlete and what it's meant to me. When I first arrived on campus in September 1996, four years ago, I was a very self-confident, perhaps even cocky freshman. Like all of you I had had a successful high school career and being the na?ve kid that I was I figured I could do the same thing at Princeton that I had done in high school. I even remember walking around Jadwin Gym saying to myself, `Yeah that guy Bill Bradley was great, but wait 'til Princeton gets a load of me-look out.' Yup, I was definitely full of it.
So what did I do? Well to begin with I signed up for a bunch of tough classes, because that's what I'd always done. Not the best move. Then during our preseason pickup games, I shot the ball every time I got it, because that's also what I'd always done.
See, somewhere during orientation week I missed the fact that here at Princeton they PASS the ball, then shoot. Also, not the best move. Still I was feeling pretty good about myself for the first couple of weeks, because cockiness has that unnatural staying power. But, truly I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Imagine being blindfolded, told to relax and not worry, and then put into a ring with Mike Tyson, for a semester, and you'll understand how I felt. I got pummeled, and I never knew what hit me. In school I felt like some of my teachers were speaking a foreign language. Granted some of them actually were, but that's beside the point.
On the court I felt like I was playing a foreign game. It was brutal. In high school the game was simple, get the ball, shoot the ball, rebound your miss, shoot the ball again, rebound your miss, shoot the ball again, and eventually it went in. Passing the ball was for the guards, in my mind. Here it was high-post from the front, dribble the center out, swing it back to the same side, screen across, and pop out for drive drill. And that was just to start the offense.
As a freshman I spent most of my time running around the court like a chicken with his head cut off. My first game that I played in, I was so nervous and lost on the court that the first five times I got the ball on offense I shot it. Not because I wanted to score, but because I had no idea what I was supposed to do next. Needless to say I missed all five shots and practically fouled out after playing a total of eight minutes. It was terrible.
Things from there went from bad to worse. The first thing to go was my confidence, and it dropped like a ton of bricks. Once I lost that I was in trouble. Confused, frustrated, angry and exhausted, I struggled to stay afloat that first semester. For the first time in my life I questioned what I was doing, and even thought about quitting. I struggled in the classroom, on the court and was having no fun at all. It was an all-time low.
Fortunately, though, I realized that I had worked too hard for too long to give up, and the only way that Princeton was going to beat me was to knock me out cold, so I stayed with it. And sure enough, slowly, really slowly, agonizingly slowly, things started to improve. First I learned how to get help in my classes, and I learned how to manage my time better. Second, and most importantly, I finally began to learn our offense. Which was probably the hardest thing.
Still it wasn't until November of my sophomore year that I began to really feel like things were turning around. I finally felt comfortable on the court, and also felt like I was learning how to handle my course load without killing myself. Of course as soon as I really started to get comfortable I then broke my wrist, but honestly at that point it didn't matter. Coming back from my broken wrist was ten thousands times easier than starting my freshman year. I had already gone through it, I had already suffered, and I knew what I had to do to come back. Sure it would take time and hard work, but that was the easy part.
My point is that I'm sure all of you have experienced similar feelings of frustration during your time here. This place is not easy on any front-academically or athletically. The key is that you battled through and made it. You learned to overcome hardships and difficulties. Whether it meant late-night studying, extra conditioning or whatever, you learned to adapt and persevere. In my opinion this is the greatest lesson that Princeton can teach.
What life holds for the future is obviously uncertain. Everyone will take different paths and go on to different lives. Nevertheless I guarantee that there will be a time when everything seems to be going wrong, and you'll think that things can't possibly get any tougher. At these times it will be real easy to throw in the towel. It will be real easy to say, `I've done my time, this is too much, I'm getting out.' But remember what you've done here.
Remember how you've fought hard here, and how hard you've worked. Remember all the time you put into practice, and remember all your games. And finally remember how great the feeling was when you completed whatever it was you were fighting for. If you do that, then nothing will get you down. Sure you might not always succeed, and you'll suffer setbacks, but you've learned to fight through them, and that is the hardest part.
Having said all that, I'd like to take a brief moment, I guess to pretend like I just won something, to thank my parents, my family and my friends for always being there for me. You all have made my time incredibly special here. And you mean more to me than anything else. Without your love and support I very easily could have folded, but you were there to keep me going, and I will never forget it.
Anyway, I hope everybody has a fabulous time these next couple of days, and I'll see you all at the P-rade. Thanks, it's been great.
SUSAN REA:
Hi everyone, and thank you for coming tonight. I know that Reunions are waiting so I won't take too much time, but it's a beautiful and special night to be with this group, so there are a few things that I wanted to say.
It's funny how endings always seem to sneak up-whether it's a thesis deadline or graduation. And although it can be sad to leave behind a great phase of your life, it is also exciting to know that you have enjoyed what you have done and to look ahead at many more great times.
I feel so fortunate to have been here and to have had so many opportunities to be involved. I can remember going to watch college teams play when I was growing up and thinking how big and amazing they were, and now with a different perspective I know that I was right. College is an amazing time, a time for challenges and for fun, and sports make it incredibly more so, as each of the graduating seniors here well knows.
Certainly our individual experiences have been unique, but in many important ways we are all the same. Whatever position we have filled on our respective teams, we have made an impact on our program. We didn't just show up. We truly loved to play, or we wouldn't have chosen to come to Princeton and compete through this year. As athletes we have sacrificed our time, our comfort and our sweat, but I think that we have gained in return so much more.
We have spent hours in the weight room -some actually lifting-and out running sprints. We have shed tears and felt the most pure of joy, the excitement of warming up for a big competition and the even greater thrill of coming out on top when you put everything in. Undoubtedly there have been days when the thought of another practice or road trip just wasn't enticing, but there have also been days when the chance to play was all that you could want. And in the end we have all grown.
There are many memories that I will take away from my time as a student-athlete at Princeton. I remember first arriving on campus, not knowing anyone and unsure of what might lie ahead, but excited and confident that all would go well. I remember walking into our locker room for the first time and seeing my practice gear hanging on a pin, thinking how great it would be not to have to do my own laundry. I remember many road trips with my teams, traveling around the country and even beyond with our soccer team in Europe one preseason. I remember many games, the victories and losses, and the stories behind each. I remember early morning lifts and late night parties. I remember laughter and tears, people and places, words of encouragement when I needed them most, and the pride of seeing my teammates succeed. Each athlete undoubtedly has similar experiences to share.
There are also many people behind our experiences who deserve our recognition now. I want to thank the administrators and those in Athletic Communications who put in more hours and heart than we will ever know. I want to thank Hank [Towns] and Spoon [Furman Witherspoon] and George `Jadwin' [Boccanfuso] and all of the other people who have taken care of our equipment and fields, and put up with us when our practices ran late. I want to thank the athletic training staff who kept us in one piece, and want to thank our coaches who put all of themselves into their teams. I want to thank the Tiger Cubs who came out to cheer on and inspire our play and the [Princeton Varsity Club members] who donate so generously and make events like this possible. We could not be here tonight without the support of our families, or of our teammates who push us in practice every day and will always be in our memories as close friends. And finally, we owe a thanks to ourselves for we would not be here tonight either without great personal commitment and enjoyment of our game.
I would like to end by asking all of the graduating seniors to stand.
Take a good look around at your classmates. Through our collective efforts we have all become part of something that will be with each one of us forever. You should be proud of the fact that you are here tonight, and treasure the memories you have gained as we look forward to many great adventures ahead. I am proud to be here with you.
Thank you all for your attention and for a wonderful four years.