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Play Like a Champion Today, Athletics to travel to Uganda to promote youth sports

2012-05-14T14:50:00-04:00

As most college students are packing to return home for summer vacation, 12 University of Notre Dame students will be leaving to share the experience of sports with the children of Uganda. This trip, sponsored by Play Like a Champion Today (PLACT) as part of the Institute for Educational Initiatives and by the Department of Athletics will focus on promoting youth sports as well as educational research.

Heading this international effort are Kevin Dugan, manager of youth and community programs for the athletics department, and Clark Power, professor of education and psychology and founder of PLACT, a program developed to champion character development through youth sports. “The purpose of the whole effort is to work with the Catholic Church and the (Ugandan) Ministry of Education and Sports to share ideas on how sports can be used as a platform for positive social development,” Dugan said.

The group of students, led by Dugan and Power, will arrive in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, to meet with Penny Kabenge, secretary general of the Uganda Olympic Committee, and then continue on to Kkindu, a small village outside the city of Masaka, and Jinja over a two-week period. During this time, the students will assist with PLACT research, run a variety of sports camps for children and provide support during PLACT sessions specifically adapted for Ugandan youth and their world of sports.

Also involved with PLACT Uganda are Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui, who provide support through the Kelly Cares Foundation. When interviewed on this initiative, Brian Kelly said, “My wife, Paqui, was passionate about this effort and, as it relates to athletics, we’re committed to anything we can do to generate that kind of camaraderie and bring people together.”

Both Dugan and Power believe this Notre Dame trip will expose students to a very different version of Uganda than that portrayed in “Kony 2012,” a film that went viral in March. “I think our students will really be encouraged by the talents and gifts of Ugandan youth,” Dugan said. “We have been very thoughtful about engaging the people of Uganda in ways that complement what they are already doing there to improve physical education in schools, and providing more outlets for personal and character development through sports.”

Promoting that exact outcome is what led to the alliance of Athletics and PLACT staff two years ago. This is the second trip connecting the Athletics Department and PLACT, and all involved hope this service and educational opportunity will grow in coming years. This year, in addition to introducing PLACT to Ugandan children, Power will also conduct a two-day workshop with Uganda Martyrs University, where he is working on a joint research project with faculty and staff: studying the impact of sports education on child development in that nation. Power explained, “The PLACT model has had great success in North America, and we look forward to our Ugandan partnership and exploring how it can make a difference around the world.”

This trip is the product of a year’s collaboration with the Catholic Church and the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda. In preparation for this trip, Notre Dame students completed two prerequisite courses focusing on the social foundations of coaching, sports and development, and participated in an interview process with Dugan. The trip itself is part of ongoing coursework that will conclude in the fall.

Dugan and Power want the group to approach their efforts in Uganda with a great deal of humility and passion. “If we walk humbly and passionately, then our presence can help support the work of the government and the church to use sports as a form of growth and development for the children of Uganda,” Dugan expressed. Power added, “This trip is an outstanding result of Play Like a Champion Today and the Athletic Department’s commitment to positively changing people’s lives through sports, our students’ natural zeal for service and the University’s commitment to promoting social justice around the world.”

Notre Dame’s 'The Shirt' for 2012 to be unveiled Friday

2012-04-18T14:30:00-04:00

One of the University of Notre Dame’s most visible traditions will be celebrated again Friday (April 20) as the 2012 version of “The Shirt” is unveiled during events beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Hammes Bookstore on campus.

The celebration, which is open to the public, will include a variety of outdoor activities such as face painting, prizes and inflatables as well as performances by the Notre Dame Band, Glee Club, cheerleaders and Pom Squad. Notre Dame’s head football coach, Brian Kelly, will unveil The Shirt during a stage presentation at 6 p.m.

Details, a schedule and more information about the celebration and about The Shirt are available online.

Each year since 1990, when the first version of The Shirt was made available to Notre Dame students, alumni and fans, the item’s popularity and sales have increased. Proceeds provide funds for The Shirt Charity Fund, which supports students suffering from severe illnesses and facing high medical bills as well as such student organizations as the Hall President’s Council and Habitat for Humanity.

Over the years, The Shirt, enthusiastically worn by students and spectators at nationally televised athletic events, has become a distinctive Notre Dame symbol.

In 1990, the 32,300 shirts sold generated more than $100,000 for Zhengde Wang, a Notre Dame graduate student from China who had been severely injured in an automobile accident. Last year, 165,000 shirts were sold, raising more than $700,000.

Contact: Daniel Ogg, dogg@nd.edu

Global Football and Play Like A Champion Today partner to create character award

2012-03-05T13:00:00-05:00

Global Football and the Play Like A Champion Today Educational Series (PLC) have partnered to create a character award to recognize athletes participating in the Global Ireland Football Tournament (GIFT) 2012 in Ireland this summer.

PLC is an affiliate of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame and is a program for teaching, outreach and research. Its mission is to develop the whole person through sports in a moral community by producing and delivering character-oriented, research-based educational programs for coaches, parents, athletes and administrators.

Each of the 10 high schools and two universities whose football teams will travel from the United States to play their 2012 season-opening game in Ireland on Aug. 31 (Friday) will be asked to nominate one athlete for the award before heading overseas.

The PLC Character Award will then be highlighted at a private banquet hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Aug. 30 (Thursday) in Dublin, and the award will be presented at the Pre-Game Tailgate at the UCD Bowl Stadium before Notre Dame plays Navy at the Aviva Stadium on Sept. 1. PLC will offer a special presentation to Dublin-area coaches, teachers and students, and the traveling GIFT schools’ families and staff will also be invited.

“As a Notre Dame alum and Monogram Club member, I was impressed when the Play Like a Champion Today program was first initiated in 2006,” said Global Football President Patrick Steenberge. “I have followed with keen interest their development and impact on student athletes, coaches and families across America, and am extremely proud to have them now as a working partner in Ireland for the Global Ireland Football Tournament.

“Together we will work to carry their positive message overseas, and recognize one top player per participating GIFT team for his character, then name one of them with the PLC/Global Football Character Award for GIFT 2012.”

Kristin Sheehan, former Notre Dame cheerleader and ND Monogram winner, is the program director for PLC. She said: “Sport provides an ideal setting to develop the moral and spiritual character of young people. The PLC Character Award will applaud student athletes who possess and demonstrate the soul of a champion.

“These athletes are driven team leaders, disciplined and focused in their sport and respected by their team and larger community for their teamwork, integrity and service. Play Like a Champion Today is honored to share our champion philosophy with coaches, parents and athletes in Ireland through partnership with Global Football, a true champion-centered program.”

Three American football showcases featuring a total of 12 teams from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin will be played at Parnell Park in Dublin, Páirc Tailteann in Navan, and at a third venue still to be announced as part of the GIFT 2012 event. The games will be played on Aug. 31 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., on the eve of the Emerald Isle Classic at the AVIVA Stadium between Notre Dame and Navy.

Tickets for all GIFT 2012 events, which each offer six hours worth of top-quality American football action, will go on sale March 15, priced 15 euros for adults and 10 euros for students, with free admission for children age 12 and younger.

Under the guidance of President Patrick Steenberge, a former Notre Dame quarterback and high school All-American at Erie Cathedral Prep, Global Football has produced football games in 19 nations during the past 16 years. Working partners include American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Pop Warner, NFL, Super Bowl Host Committees, USA Football, Notre Dame, Penn State, CONADEIP Mexico, Tanzania Sports Council and dozens of NCAA Division III colleges as well as National Football Federations worldwide.

An innovative coach and parent education program that is transforming the culture of sports today, Play Like A Champion Today offers an athlete-centered, research-based approach to coaching and sport parenting by offering interactive coach clinics, parent workshops and athlete character-building initiatives.

The National Governing Body for American Football in Ireland, the Irish American Football Association is recognized by the Irish Sports Council and the Federation of Irish Sports. It is affiliated to the European Federation of American Football and the International Federation of American Football. The Irish American Football League plays adult, full-contact American football U.S. college football rules and has also established an 8v8 league to allow new teams to progress.

A leader in university and sports travel management, Anthony Travel plays a critical role in the success of the Emerald Isle Classic and Global Ireland Football Tournament and is providing more than 10,000 guests with comprehensive travel solutions to Ireland.

Former Notre Dame coach and breast cancer survivor to speak for Pink Zone luncheon

2012-01-13T09:00:00-05:00

Sharon Drake Petro, former head coach of Notre Dame women’s basketball and women’s tennis, will be the featured speaker at the Pink Zone luncheon on Feb. 12 (Sunday) at 12:30 p.m. at the Purcell Pavilion at Notre Dame.

The luncheon will precede the annual Notre Dame women’s basketball Pink Zone game at 3:30 p.m. that day and is organized by the College of Science to recognize researchers and physicians in the fight against cancer.

Petro was one of the first female coaches and athletic administrators at Notre Dame. She came to the University in 1977 to serve as the first head coach of varsity women’s basketball and women’s tennis and to teach in the Department of Physical Education. In 1980, her basketball team reached the Sweet 16 in the AIAW national tournament. In 1985, her tennis team placed second at nationals, and she was awarded the NCAA Division II Wilson Intercollegiate Tennis Coach of the Year.

During her tenure at Notre Dame, she chaired the Department of Physical Education and served as an assistant athletic director under Gene Corrigan before leaving to pursue her doctorate in applied sport psychology at the University of Virginia. Recently, she was inducted into the Notre Dame Monogram Club as an honorary member and is currently on the faculty at American University.

In the Fall of 1983, Petro was diagnosed with breast cancer and received treatment locally at Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. Her experience as an athlete and coach gave her the determination and strength to fight cancer. Yet she acknowledges that one does not fight this alone. She gives credit to her doctors who took immediate action and the Notre Dame community who provided tremendous support on this journey.

Petro later founded Head Coaching, a company that helps competitors of all ages—and stages in their skill level—develop a great attitude, stay motivated, build self-confidence, and focus attention for consistent, optimal performance. She draws on decades of experience in athletics to help performers in sport, business, and the performing arts gain the Mental Advantage. Her coaching techniques have been used by amateurs and professionals alike in sport and business arenas. She is the creator of “The WIN Method: A Model for Optimal Performance” and is the author of “The Tennis Drill Book.”

Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the WBCA Pink Zone initiative, a global, unified effort of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) to raise awareness and support for women with breast cancer.

Tickets are available through the Notre Dame ticket office at 574-631-7356 or at Gate 9 of the Purcell Pavilion, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A single seat at the luncheon is $100; a couple is $150, and a table of 10 is $1,000. A game ticket is included with purchase a seat to the luncheon.

Contact: Marissa Gebhard, 574-631-4465, gebhard.3@nd.edu

Play Like A Champion Today® program In partnership with football and soccer awards

2011-11-18T14:35:00-05:00

Play Like a Champion Today; (PLC), the athletics-focused initiative in the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) at the University of Notre Dame, has teamed with the Trusted Sports Foundation in two awards programs that honor the country’s most inspirational high school athletes in the sports of football and soccer.

The football awards program, called the High School Football Rudy Awards and now in its third year, presents $25,000 in academic scholarships annually to 12 young football players recognized for a commitment to excellence combined with character and courage. The awards are based on the story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, known for his persistence in making the Notre Dame football team as featured in the film “Rudy.”

The new soccer awards program, called the Inspireum Soccer Awards, will award $25,000 in academic scholarships to 12 high school soccer players who best exemplify the same combination of traits. In both the football and soccer programs, Trusted Sports Foundation invites the general public to nominate inspiring young athletes, appoints a selection committee of noted personalities from those sports, and awards the scholarships. The nonprofit foundation is a partner with PLC in both programs.

“These awards reflect the powerful life lessons that we see young people learning from sports every day,” said Kristin Sheehan, program director for PLC. “We celebrate not only the inspirational football and soccer players, but also the culture of integrity, perseverance and moral leadership that is passed to these athletes by coaches and parents.”

PLC, now in its sixth year, is an innovative coach and parent education initiative that frames coaching as a character-building enterprise, with sports complementing the educational process as an avenue toward personal integrity and moral leadership for young people.

Trusted Sports founder John Ballantine said: “We’re excited to partner with Play Like a Champion Today® to reassert sports as a tool for personal development and to highlight nominees as examples of how supportive teams, coaches and programs can foster effective members of society.”

The PLC/ACE initiative, named after the famous sign in the locker room of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish football team, offers a child-centered, research-based approach to coaching and sport parenting; more than 15,000 coaches and 3,000 parents have participated in Play Like a Champion Today® workshops.

The nonprofit Trusted Sports Foundation, based in Bend, Ore., focuses on empowering youth to live up to their full potential through positive sports experiences that form active, healthy habits for a lifetime. Inspireum, also based in Bend, is a social enterprise dedicated to celebrating outstanding youth achievement that inspires the next generation and strengthens communities.

Contact: Bill Schmitt, media/communications specialist, Institute for Educational Initiatives, 574-631-3893, wschmitt@nd.edu

Community partnerships challenge ND football players to think in new ways

2011-09-27T17:00:00-04:00

As a part of a one-credit, community-based learning course offered through the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns (CSC) over the summer, 54 Notre Dame football players spent mornings in the classroom discussing texts on ethics, and then afternoons interacting with participants of local area organizations.

“Our refugee children looked forward to these days with the players. But the appreciation was for the person, not for the name. These kids had never heard of American football or Notre Dame before,” says Esther van Stam, casework coordinator at the American Red Cross.

“The football players in turn told me they learned a lot about refugees…some stereotypes were broken down. Some of our clients had a prejudice against African Americans, and some of the players in turn had certain ideas about Muslims and Arabs. This was a good opportunity to see a person instead of a label,” van Stam adds.

Notre Dame student athlete Brandon Newman was paired with a young Iraqi boy at the Red Cross. “At first I found the Iraqi children in the program to be loud, boisterous and physical. However, I learned that this was just a cultural aspect that does not necessarily result in the violence Americans see on TV.”

Newman enjoyed building trust with “Zaid,” later realizing that the young Iraqi boy had only recently arrived in the U.S. with his grandmother. “As long as I am in South Bend, I want to be a part of his life,” Newman says.

Bill Purcell ’86, ’92 M.Div., and Mike Hebbeler, both of the Center for Social Concerns, designed the course to include various ethical frameworks—personal, professional, sexual and global. A key part of the course involved student reflection on the ethical decision-making they observed during their field work.

The students spent afternoons at the Robinson Community Learning Center, the Center for the Homeless, the Red Cross, La Casa de Amistad, Healthwin, Perley Primary Center and at South Bend’s Logan Center.

“We want students to look internally at their own ethics, and then explore how ethics affect vulnerable populations right here in South Bend,” says Purcell, co-instructor and associate director at the CSC.

During the course, guest speakers spoke on topics such as vocation, community and professional ethics. Co-instructor Mike Hebbeler highlighted a talk by former Irish football player Oscar McBride ’94.

The students were especially moved to hear how McBride struggled with his identity off the field in 2008, after many years in the NFL.

McBride, who now works for the Fit For Life Youth Foundation, dared players to think in a new way about their futures apart from football, “You go down with a career-ending injury today…what are you going to do?”

Several student athletes also took an empathy training class at Healthwin, a local rehabilitation and nursing facility.

These young and healthy students were placed in wheelchairs and “given” a disability (a stroke with limited use of their left side, for example).

The players slowly climbed ramps and ambled around the grounds to learn how tiring wheelchair transportation can be.

Healthwin staff also explained the various diets and the difficulty many residents have swallowing. The student athletes were then fitted for glasses that showed how tunnel and blurred vision occur with age. The students played games using the specialty glasses, and found how difficult it was to throw or catch a ball.

Karen Martindale, an administrator at Healthwin, described the delight and anticipation of residents as they watched out the windows each day for students’ arrival. One elderly resident took extra time getting ready for the arrival of her assigned student. “It was nice to get dressed and ready—especially to have a young man calling!” she said.

Originally published by Allison Nanni at publicaffairs.nd.edu on September 15, 2011.

Lou and Beth Holtz become “research ambassadors” for Notre Dame

2011-09-03T19:00:00-04:00

Former Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz is once again taking a leadership role at the University – this time in an arena outside of athletics. He and his wife, Beth, have graciously agreed to serve as Notre Dame’s first “ambassadors for research” by taking a prominent role in increasing awareness of the University’s mission to pursue research that aims to heal, unify and enlighten a world deeply in need.

“Beth and I have always believed that Notre Dame is different,” Lou Holtz said. “Not only by educating young people who go out and do remarkable things in the world, but also through its commitment to research with potential to alleviate pain and suffering, the University is taking on global challenges and bringing about real change.”

Research to help people with cancer is a deeply personal cause for the Holtz family. Beth Holtz was diagnosed in 1997 with a rare form of cancer and was given a five-percent chance of survival. Today she credits her recovery to her strong faith and the support of her family and others around her during her illness.

“Lou and Beth Holtz are a testament to the human spirit and we are so thankful and proud to have them as part of the Notre Dame family,” said John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president. “Through their generous financial contributions to the University – and the precious gift of their time as ambassadors for research – they are adding to the many blessings they and their family already have bestowed upon us. We are deeply appreciative.”

The Holtzes also have given $1 million to the University. The gift was a component of the recently completed “Spirit of Notre Dame” campaign, which raised $2.014 billion during a seven-year span that ended June 30. In addition to their most recent gift, the Holtzes also established a scholarship endowment at the University during Lou Holtz’ coaching tenure.

During his 10 years as head football coach, Lou Holtz amassed a record of 100-30-2 and led the Fighting Irish to a national championship during its undefeated 1988 season. The couple has four children – Luanne; Louis Jr., a 1987 Notre Dame graduate; Kevin, a 1989 Notre Dame graduate; and Elizabeth, a 1991 Notre Dame graduate.

Road construction likely to cause post-game traffic delays

2011-08-31T14:25:00-04:00

Road construction on several streets near the University of Notre Dame campus likely will cause longer-than-normal traffic delays during the 2011 football season, especially after games.

A construction workers’ strike during the summer has delayed numerous road projects throughout Indiana, including work on Angela Boulevard, west of the campus, which is closed to all traffic until December.

In addition, State Road 933 (Michigan Street) south of the campus will be open only to vehicles weighing less than 10 tons, which will mean restrictions for buses, semi-tractor trailers and many recreational vehicles.

The post-game traffic delays are expected to be longer for fans exiting from the parking lots south of Notre Dame Stadium and the Joyce Center. To expedite traffic, the following directions may be helpful:

Fans exiting from the Joyce lots on Leahy Drive and Joyce Drive will be directed east to Ironwood Road via either Edison Road or State Road 23 (South Bend Avenue) where they can turn south or continue east (no north-bound turn will be allowed). Follow police officers’ directions.

For fans exiting on Eddy Street or Notre Dame Avenue, follow directions to the west on Angela and then north on 933 to the Indiana Toll Road entrance. When traffic backs up on 933 north, motorists will be directed south on 933, where they can proceed to Lafayette Street, turn west and merge onto Lincoln Way West to the U.S. 20 Bypass, then north on the bypass to the toll road.

A map with all campus and many proximate city streets clearly marked is available here.

Contact: Dennis Brown, assistant vice president for public information and communications, 574-631-8696

Rwanda Youth Day unites Rwandans through sport and community

2011-08-22T12:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame hosted Rwanda Youth Day on campus on Aug. 14, bringing more than 120 Rwandans from across the Midwest to campus for a day filled with sports, games and community building.

Presented by Notre Dame Athletics, the day started off with remarks from event organizers and a singing of the Rwandan National Anthem—then the games began. Even as storm clouds threatened, attendees played on, facing off in basketball, volleyball and soccer in what one event organizer believes to be the first time two Rwandan teams have faced off at any sport on American soil.

The event served as an opportunity for Rwandans born in the United States to connect with other Rwandans.

“Today is a day of Rwanda. When you live in a foreign country, it’s not every day that we get to get together,” said event organizer Alice Cyusa. “Playing soccer and basketball together, we are united.”

Preparations are already underway to plan next year’s Rwanda Youth Day.

“Sports can be a powerful way to nurture and develop young people while bringing people of all ages together to build community, “ said Kevin Dugan, manager of Youth and Community Programs for Notre Dame Athletics. “That is the goal of our Rwandan Youth Day. It’s a great opportunity to use the transformative power of sport to build community while also promoting unity among the Rwandan Diaspora here in the Midwest.”

The event is part of a new initiative, Irish Experience Programs, begun by Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick. The program aims to use Notre Dame Athletics’ key pillars to have a positive influence on young people and to impact the surrounding community.

This fall, Athletics plans to start a free flag football league called the Irish Experience League, which will be held at the Martin Luther King Center on South Bend’s wes tside in conjunction with St. Augustine Parish and the Robinson Community Learning Center.

Contact: Kevin Dugan, manager of youth and community programs, 574-631-8816, kdugan1@nd.edu

Notre Dame partners with Centerplate for concession services

2011-05-03T17:30:00-04:00

Food and beverage concessions at Notre Dame athletics events will be substantially enhanced beginning next fall through the University’s new partnership with Centerplate, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies for sports, entertainment and convention venues.

Notre Dame has entered into a long-term contract with Centerplate to direct the concession services at Notre Dame Stadium, Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center, the soon-to-open Compton Family Center ice arena, Warren Golf Course, all Olympic sports stadia and Irish Green, the public hospitality area on the south side of campus.

As part of the contract, the University has ensured that non-profit groups in the area will be able to continue to raise funds by working in campus concession stands. The University is offering positions with comparable wages to eight food services employees whose jobs will be eliminated by the change.

“Independent research has shown us that, while our fans genuinely enjoy the game-day experience at Notre Dame, we had room for improvement with our concessions,” said John Affleck-Graves, the University’s executive vice president.

“We have one of the finest campus food service operations in all of higher education, but it is designed to provide high quality meals to our student body, and it receives outstanding reviews for doing so. For the very different kind of fare found in concession stands at sporting events, we thought it best to have our own food services personnel concentrate on what they do so well, and turn to the experts at Centerplate to improve the fan experience through high-quality foods and beverages.

“We were very impressed by the Centerplate team. They have a track-record of success in collegiate and professional venues and presented a thoughtful plan to provide an unparalleled hospitality experience for our fans.”

Centerplate will introduce new menu concepts – such as prime rib and grilled shrimp sandwiches, Philly cheese steaks, gourmet burgers, barbecue nachos and chicken tenders – upgrade service areas to enhance hospitality, and continue to provide more traditional food items.

“We are thrilled and honored to have been chosen to serve the students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans of the University of Notre Dame,” said Greg Fender, senior vice president of Centerplate with executive responsibility for the new partnership. “We are eager to partner with the University and its dedicated volunteer groups to deliver extraordinary fan experiences.”

Centerplate has successfully collaborated with non-profit organizations in many of its other operations nationwide.

Affleck-Graves said that while the commission for non-profit groups will be reduced from 15 percent to 12 percent, “projections are that the groups will actually make as much or more money because improvements in service and food quality and variety are expected to generate more customers and more overall revenue.” He added that non-profit groups no longer will be required to handle the set-up in concession stands a day in advance of events, reducing the time commitment of volunteers. Centerplate also will give non-profit organizations the opportunity to work and raise additional funds at other events under its management.

Centerplate operates concession services at Century Center and the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. With the addition of Notre Dame, the company will serve as hospitality partner to 24 leading colleges and universities, as well as more than 250 other athletics stadiums, entertainment venues and convention centers in North America. It has provided service at 11 Super Bowls, 20 World Series and 15 U.S. presidential balls.

Play Like A Champion Today™ Sports Leadership Conference set for June 24 to 26

2011-04-14T15:21:00-04:00

The Play Like a Champion Today™ (PLC) Program of the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) will hold its sixth annual National Sports Leadership Conference on campus June 24 to 26.

Perhaps the largest gathering of directors and representatives of sport leagues in the country, this conference prepares leaders from both public and Church-sponsored sports programs to lead coach and parent educational workshops in their home dioceses, parishes, schools and local sports organizations.

Educators, coaches, former and current collegiate athletes and professors from a variety of fields – psychology, education, medicine, theology and business – will engage participants in an exploration of the ways in which youth and high school sports can contribute to children’s and adolescents’ moral and spiritual development. It is a distinct opportunity to learn the latest trends in sport-based character development and to network and share best practices with sport leaders all across North America.

Play Like A Champion Today™ partners with schools and sports organizations by offering coaches and sport parents interactive, educational workshops. In the six years since the program began, more than 15,000 coaches and 3,000 parents have completed the workshops and 95 percent say they would recommend it to others. These adults have in turn touched the lives of half a million young athletes.

Featured speakers for this year’s conference include: An opening charge offered by Jeff Burris, Notre Dame All American under Coach Lou Holtz, 10 year veteran of the NFL and a current high school coach; Randy Waldrum, coach of the 2010 national champion Notre Dame women’s soccer team; Jack Swarbrick, Notre Dame athletic director; Bob Bigelow, former NBA player, selected as one of the 100 most influential sports educators and author of “Just Let the Kids Play;” Susan Saint Sing, member of the 1993 U.S. Rowing Team, current collegiate coach, and author of “Spirituality of Sport.”

This year’s conference sessions will include: leadership development for coaches and administrators, preparation for presenting PLC workshops in local sport communities, ways to build moral community on sports teams, understanding coaching as a ministry and the spirituality of sport, how to develop partnerships with athletic parents, a youth sportsmanship program, high school athlete retreats, strategies to conscientiously distribute athlete playing time, a PLC workshop for effective officiating, an approach to mentor coaching in at-risk communities, a new sport-specific safe environment training, and the latest insight into sports injury prevention.

Speakers will demonstrate strategies for developing champions on and off the sports field. They will challenge toxic elements in the youth and high school sports culture that place winning and ego-centered success over the development of the whole person as a member of a team. The conference also will feature a banquet dinner in the Notre Dame Stadium Press Box and a tour of the football locker room and facilities.

The Play Like A Champion administrative team is led by Clark Power, a 29-year member of the Notre Dame faculty; Kristin Komyatte Sheehan, a 1990 Notre Dame graduate and former cheerleader for the 1988 national champion Notre Dame football team; and Oscar McBride, a 1994 Notre Dame graduate and four-year letter winner under Coach Holtz.

Conference registration is available here. For more information about Play Like A Champion Today™ and its educational programs, visit playlikeachampion.org or contact the PLC office at 574-631-9981 or plc@nd.edu.

Coach Kelly to speak at unveiling ceremony for The Shirt 2011

2011-04-12T10:27:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly will again be the featured speaker at the annual kick-off celebration and unveiling ceremony for The Shirt 2011, to be held Friday (April 15) from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore. Shirts will be available for purchase immediately after the 5:45 p.m. unveiling.

The event also will feature appearances by Notre Dame Stadium announcer and former WSBT-TV news anchor Mike Collins; Associate Vice President for University Relations, Chuck Lennon, who has served for 30 years as the executive director of the Notre Dame Alumni Association, from which he will retire in June; and Tim McCarthy, a former sergeant with the Indiana State Police known for his safety announcements in Notre Dame Stadium.

Notre Dame’s Glee Club, Marching Band, cheerleaders, leprechaun, Pom Squad, Bagpipe Band, Irish Dance Team, Swing Club, First Class Steppers, Harmonia, and Project Fresh also will join the fanfare.

Notre Dame students have been wearing The Shirt to football games since 1990 to unite in support of their team. Over time, other members of the Notre Dame community, and subsequently the general public, also have adopted the tradition. More than 153,000 shirts were sold in last year’s $500,000 campaign. The project has raised more than $6.5 million for student organizations and to aid students facing extraordinary medical conditions.

The Shirt again will sell for $15, and a limited number will be available at the bookstore beginning April 15 in conjunction with the Blue-Gold football game, which will be played April 16. More information on The Shirt 2011 is available here.

Contact: Lauren Marzouca, president, The Shirt 2011, 570-991-1030, theshirt@nd.edu

Notre Dame to install remote video system on football practice fields

2011-03-08T09:00:00-05:00

Construction will begin March 8 on a remote video system for the Notre Dame football practice fields that will eliminate the need for elevated scissor lifts such as the one that fell Oct. 27, taking the life of Notre Dame junior Declan Sullivan.

“I said in the days after Declan’s death that we would do everything in our power to make changes to ensure that such an accident does not happen again – here or elsewhere,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president. “This system puts safety at the forefront in a completely new and innovative way.”

Designed by XOS Digital, the first-of-its-kind outdoor remote video system includes four Panasonic cameras mounted on 50-foot poles – one on the south ends of each of the three LaBar Football Practice Fields, and one on the north end of field No. 1. The cameras will be housed in temperature-controlled units, and a fiber-optic network will transmit video to a control room in the Guglielmino Athletics Complex, where members of the athletics video services department will be able to edit and produce various materials for coaches and players.

Video department personnel will continue to manually operate cameras from the two permanent structures on the sidelines of the practice fields.

“In bringing its tremendous technology expertise to the table, XOS has worked hand in hand with our football program to form a partnership that now provides a new method of obtaining the video materials that our coaches and players utilize,” said Jack Swarbrick, vice president and director of athletics.

XOS Digital is a Florida company that provides audio and visual systems and services for more than 900 professional teams and collegiate programs worldwide. It has installed various systems in several Notre Dame facilities over the past decade and soon will begin work on state-of-the-art audio/visual technology in the new Compton Family Center ice arena.

The poles were manufactured by StressCrete, the oldest manufacturer of spun concrete poles in North America, with locations in Ohio, Alabama, Kansas and Ontario, Canada.

The system is expected to be fully operational when the football team begins spring practice March 23.
In addition to designing an innovative new system, XOS will make a donation to the Declan Drumm Sullivan Memorial Fund.

“We appreciate this wonderful contribution by XOS to the Sullivan family’s memorial fund,” Swarbrick said. “Our staff remembers Declan fondly, and our prayers remain with his family and friends.”

Notre Dame officials are in discussion with the Sullivan family to determine how the University can best honor Declan’s legacy.

“We are committed to memorializing Delcan’s zest for life and presence at Notre Dame in a meaningful and lasting way,” Father Jenkins said. “Our conversations with his family members will shape Notre Dame’s memorials of Declan in a manner that give authentic and proper tribute to their son and brother.”

Two investigations into the accident – one by Notre Dame and another by the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration – are ongoing.

Notre Dame approves on-campus filming for Haley Scott movie

2011-02-15T17:07:00-05:00

For just the third time in its history, the University of Notre Dame has given approval for the filming of a motion picture on campus.

Tentatively titled “Two Miles From Home,” the film is the story of Haley Scott DeMaria, the Notre Dame swimmer who was paralyzed for a week after a tragic bus accident in 1992 that took the lives of two of her teammates. The movie is based on DeMaria’s book, “What Though the Odds: Haley Scott’s Journey of Faith and Triumph.”

“Though we receive many requests, the University has allowed just two movies to be filmed on our campus – ‘Knute Rockne, All American’ and Rudy,’" said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president. “The perseverance, courage and faith that Haley demonstrated in overcoming the critical injuries and medical setbacks she suffered can inspire many and so should be told to the widest audience possible.”

Robert C. Thompson, producer of the Academy Award-winning 1973 film “The Paper Chase,” is the executive producer for “Two Miles From Home.” Co-producers are Chris Jones and Dan Waterhouse, who wrote the script and is the director.

DeMaria and the producers are working to raise funds and hope to begin filming this year in order to release the movie in 2012, the 20th anniversary of the accident.

The accident in which DeMaria and her teammates were involved occurred shortly after midnight Jan. 24, 1992, on the way back to campus from a meet at Northwestern University. In heavy snow, the bus slid off the Indiana Toll Road near exit 75 – two miles from home.

Meghan Beeler and Colleen Hipp, both freshmen, died in the crash, and DeMaria, also a freshman, was paralyzed. After two operations at Memorial Hospital in South Bend and several days without sensation in her legs, DeMaria and her family were told she likely was facing life in a wheelchair. But a week after the accident, she began to regain feeling and within a month she was standing and walking with a cane. She returned to classes at Notre Dame that spring, but there were many more challenges ahead.

In the summer of 1992, rods that had been inserted to keep her spine straight came loose and popped through the skin. She was rushed to San Diego where she endured three more complex and risky surgical procedures – and once nearly died on the operating table.

Once again defying all odds, DeMaria returned to Notre Dame in the fall of ’92 to take classes and continue her rehabilitation. She gradually began to swim and a year later, on Oct. 29, 1993, she completed one of the most stirring comebacks in Notre Dame’s history by swimming in – and winning – her heat in a 50-yard race.

When asked at his retirement about the most memorable moment of his tenure as athletic director, Dick Rosenthal said simply: “Haley Scott.”

Former Irish football coach Lou Holtz has said: “I don’t know of any story more heartwarming, encouraging or motivating than Haley’s story. She is a very special young lady and has had a positive influence on my life as well as many others.”

DeMaria and her husband, Jamie, also a Notre Dame graduate, have two children and reside in Annapolis, Md. She serves on the board of the Notre Dame Monogram Club.

More information is available here.

Fans attending Notre Dame men’s basketball game urged to use extreme caution

2011-01-08T17:13:00-05:00

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball game against St. John’s University at 8 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 8) at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center will be played as scheduled.

Fans are encouraged to use extreme caution before deciding whether to attend and should adhere to all weather and travel warnings issued by the City of South Bend and other local authorities. Those fans who are able to travel safely to this evening’s game are advised that the parking lots are open, but that space will be very limited due to the heavy snowfall in the Michiana area.

Fans who cannot attend this evening’s game due to the severe weather conditions can watch the game live on ESPNU and ESPN3.com or listen to the game on WSBT AM 960 in the South Bend area.

Fans attending women’s basketball game urged to use caution

2011-01-08T12:45:00-05:00

The University of Notre Dame-University of Connecticut women’s basketball game, scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 8) at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center, will be played as scheduled.

Fans who plan to attend are encouraged to take every precaution and adhere to all warnings issued by the City of South Bend and other local authorities. For those fans able to travel safely to Purcell Pavilion, the parking lots will be open, but space will be very limited due to heavy snowfall in the South Bend area.

Fans who cannot attend today’s game due to the inclement weather can watch the game live on WSBT-TV (Channel 22), the CBS affiliate in South Bend which will be broadcasting the game live to a national television audience. In addition, the game will be broadcast live on the radio on Pulse FM (96.9 and 92.1) in the South Bend area.

Notre Dame will issue a separate statement at 5 p.m (ET) today regarding the status of tonight’s Notre Dame-St. John’s men’s basketball game.

Notre Dame Band awarded prestigious Sudler trophy

2010-12-20T12:54:00-05:00

The University of Notre Dame Band has been awarded the 2011 Sudler Trophy, recognizing “collegiate marching bands of particular excellence that have made outstanding contributions to the American way of life.” The trophy was presented Dec. 17 during the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.

Dating back to 1982, the trophy, presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, is considered the Heisman trophy for college bands and recognizes Notre Dame’s contributions over numerous years. It is the only nationally recognized award for college marching bands, and only one trophy is awarded bi-annually.

Past winners of the Sudler Trophy include the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Kansas, University of Texas at Austin, Florida A & M University and UCLA. To see a list of all the past winners, visit the Sousa Foundation website.

A formal presentation of the Sudler trophy will be made at Notre Dame Stadium this fall at a home football game. Kenneth Dye, director of Notre Dame Bands, was on hand as Notre Dame was announced as this year’s recipient.

“I look for continued progress and success with the Notre Dame Band and wish to congratulate all the students, staff and supporters that have helped our program earn this recognition,” Dye said.

The Notre Dame Band, which includes more than 380 student musicians representing every field of study at Notre Dame, has earned a national reputation for its highly original and innovative performances. The band is the oldest college band (in continuous existence) in the United States and was honored as such by being declared a “Landmark of American Music” by the National Music Council and the Indiana Music Educators Association during the 1976 United States Bicentennial.

The band has played an active role in fueling the spirit of Notre Dame and recently celebrated the centennial anniversary of the “Notre Dame Victory March.” The fight song was first written in 1908 by two Notre Dame students and has maintained great popularity ever since its first performance in 1909.

Brother Andre to be honored by special collection for Haiti during Notre Dame-Western Michigan game

2010-10-13T15:16:00-04:00

A special collection in honor of Blessed Brother André Bessette will be taken up in Notre Dame Stadium during the second quarter of the Notre Dame-Western Michigan football game on Saturday (Oct. 16).

The collection will support ongoing efforts of the University of Notre Dame and the Congregation of Holy Cross to help rebuild Haiti following the devastating earthquake there in January.

Celebrated for his own service to the sick and needy, Blessed Brother André, who died in 1937, is the first member of Notre Dame’s founding religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross, to be proclaimed a saint. He will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI during a ceremony in the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome on Sunday (Oct. 17).

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., will lead a delegation from Notre Dame to the Roman ceremony. Other Notre Dame representatives in attendance will be provost Thomas G. Burish; Rev. James E. McDonald, C.S.C., associate vice president and counselor to the president; and Matthew Ashley, chair of Notre Dame’s theology department.

As a porter, or doorman, at Montréal’s Collège of Notre Dame, Blessed Brother André welcomed visitors, served as janitor, launderer and sacristan, ran errands and provided students with cheap haircuts. Throughout his half-century of service, his reputation for humility and kindness grew, as did the numbers of visitors he received. Most of these were poor and sick people, to whom he offered not only his compassion and what material assistance he could provide, but also moral and spiritual advice. Many of his visitors attributed miraculous cures to him, but he would insist, sometimes with annoyance, that any such cures were attributable to the prayers of Saint Joseph.

Brother André’s particular affection for St. Joseph, in addition to the need to accommodate the throngs of people seeking his help, advice and prayers, led to the foundation of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, at first a small structure constructed on Mount Royal with funds from small donations and Brother André’s barbershop income and now a massive basilica which attracts some 2 million pilgrims each year.

More information about Notre Dame’s support for Haitian relief may be found here.

Coach Kelly makes $250,000 gift to Notre Dame, issues “challenge” to supporters

2010-06-07T09:00:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame Head Football Coach Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui, have made a $250,000 gift to the University in support of endeavors in research, academics and community engagement.

The benefaction will directly support three Notre Dame initiatives – cancer research, the Hesburgh Libraries and the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC).

“Paqui and I have decided to partner with the Notre Dame Annual Fund and make this gift to the University in support of some of the programs that are important to us on a personal level,” Coach Kelly said. “It reflects our commitment to seeing Notre Dame succeed, on and off the gridiron.”

In the area of cancer research – the fight against breast cancer is a deeply personal cause for the Kelly family – the gift will benefit the Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute, set to open this summer in Notre Dame’s new Harper Hall. The institute will bring together scientists from Notre Dame and Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend to collaborate to advance basic and clinical research as it pertains to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer.

The gift also will provide financial support for the Hesburgh Libraries, which consist of the main Hesburgh Library and 11 subject branches across campus.

The funding will enable senior library personnel to identify and purchase the learning and teaching materials most in demand by Notre Dame scholars.

At the RCLC, the gift will underwrite innovative tutoring, violence-prevention, youth entrepreneurship and performing arts projects for adults and children in South Bend’s Northeast Neighborhood. Sponsored by Notre Dame in partnership with local residents, the RCLC serves an estimated 500 youths and adults each week, in addition to another 8,000 children annually through its outreach programs.

In conjunction with the gift, Coach Kelly is launching the “Coach Kelly Challenge,” an effort that aims to encourage all members of the Notre Dame family to offer financial support to the University through one of its annual giving programs: the Notre Dame Annual Fund, the MBA and Law School annual funds, and the Rockne Heritage Fund.

“I am proud to be the caretaker of the Notre Dame football program because of the uniqueness of the Notre Dame mission; a faith-based education with excellence in academics, athletics and service,” Coach Kelly said in issuing the challenge. “Notre Dame is changing the world through great discoveries in research, by educating the leaders of tomorrow and by improving our local communities. I ask you to join me in supporting Notre Dame to show your own passion for what matters to you.”

Coach Kelly has set an initial challenge goal of 2,500 new or renewed donors to Notre Dame in time for the Sept. 4 football season opener against Purdue. All donors who respond to the challenge will receive a signature Kelly green Notre Dame monogram lapel pin. Coach Kelly’s gift, as well as all those which support this challenge, will be included in the $1.5 billion “Spirit of Notre Dame” campaign. Concluding on June 30, 2011, the campaign is the largest such endeavor in the history of Catholic higher education.

For more information or to step up to the challenge, please visit http://coachkellychallenge.nd.edu.

Roads will be closed south of the Joyce Center during ice arena construction and utilities work

2010-03-10T14:06:00-05:00

Construction on a new ice arena at the University of Notre Dame, to be located on the north side of Angela Boulevard south of the Joyce Center, will begin the week of March 15 and continue until December 2011. In addition to construction of the new facility, the project will include an extension of campus underground utilities infrastructure, which will commence first.

The following four diagrams show the progression of construction activities and the related construction site requirements. This information also is available online at http://www.nd.edu/~univarch/documents/HockeyArenaConstruction.pdf

For additional information, contact Craig Tiller in the Office of the University Architect at 631-4200.

March 15, 2010 – Fencing will begin to be erected and will stay in place as identified in diagram 1 until April 30.

Work during this time frame will be primarily focused on underground utilities infrastructure

Holy Cross Drive will be closed during construction of the tunnel but will be reopened for all major university events, including:
* NCAA women’s basketball tournament (2 rounds), March 21 and 23
* Blue/Gold spring football game, April 24
* 2010 Commencement Exercises, May 14 to 16
* 2010 Alumni Reunion, June 3 to 6

Joyce Drive entrance from Angela Boulevard will be closed from March 15 until December 2011

Access to Old Edison Road will be closed

May 1, 2010 — The fenced construction area will expand as indicated in diagram 2 and remain until June 30.

Building construction will begin in May
Underground utility infrastructure will continue during this timeframe
Holy Cross Drive will be closed during construction of the tunnel but will be reopened for all major university events which include:
* NCAA women’s basketball tournament (2 rounds), March 21 and 23
* Blue/Gold spring football game, April 24
* 2010 Commencement Exercises, May 14 to 16
* 2010 Alumni Reunion, June 3 to 6
Joyce Drive entrance from Angela Boulevard will continue to be closed
Access to Old Edison Road will be closed

July 1, 2010 — Fencing at the north half of the underground utility infrastructure portion of the site will be removed and the site restored. The site will remain as indicated in diagram 3 until August 30.

Holy Cross Drive will be closed during this timeframe to complete underground utility infrastructure at the intersection of Holy Cross Drive and Joyce Drive
Underground utility infrastructure will continue during this timeframe
Building construction will continue during this timeframe
Joyce Drive entrance from Angela Boulevard will continue to be closed
Access to Old Edison Road will be closed

September 1, 2010 – The site fencing will be reduced to the building site only and the parking lots will be fully restored. The site will remain as indicated in diagram 4 until October 18, 2011.

Holy Cross Drive will be re-opened by September 1, 2010
Building construction will continue during this timeframe
Joyce Drive entrance from Angela Boulevard continues to be closed
Access to Old Edison Road will be closed