Dear Friends of Tribe Athletics,
 
Last week, my wife Hilary and I made a quick trip to New York City where I attended the Ivy Football Association Dinner, at which 1,000 former players gathered to honor a player from each Ivy League school.  It was great to catch up with Dartmouth friends and teammates, and yes, do a little trash-talkings!  As I left the ceremony, I couldn't stop thinking about the powerful connection between a university and its student-athletes, and how important that relationship is for your entire life.
 
While I am in my second year at W&M, I am still learning about our many remarkable Tribe alumni, one of whom gave his life in pursuit of space research.  Twenty years ago on Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia exploded as it reentered the Earth's atmosphere after more than two weeks in space.  On board was mission specialist and former Tribe gymnast David Brown '78, who was lost along with the other six crew members.

David was a captain in the U.S. Navy, flight surgeon, aviator and astronaut; each would be the pinnacle of an individual's career, but he achieved them all.  There is a banner in Kaplan with a certificate of authenticity from NASA; take a moment and read Dave Johnson's story and how that banner came home to Williamsburg. One of the people whose name is included on the banner, our Director of Gymnastics, Mike Powell, also shared a heartfelt tribute to David Brown's Legacy.
 
Last fall I wrote about another cherished alum - David Murphy '84, an extraordinary human being and a terrific Tribe football player, who was lost to us last summer.  His teammates and friends chose to celebrate his life by establishing the David Murphy Memorial Football Endowment.  To date, the fund has grown to more than $550,000 to support its goals of improving recruiting, quarterback development and enhancing other aspects of the program.  If you can, please consider a gift (this link goes to our football giving page, please enter 5233 in the "Search for a Specific Fund" field).

Another advancement initiative off to a great start is our Griffin Society.  In just over two months, our very generous supporters have made commitments and pledges that will provide almost $3 million of support over the ensuing years.  Talk about getting out of the blocks fast!  Membership carries many benefits, such as the opportunity to experience the first exclusive event of the year, Toast & Talk with W&M Athletics, a V.I.P. annual investors summit weekend, and four virtual and four in-person events throughout the year. Join us!

Our Tribe pride was on full display this past weekend, as alumni from our baseball and men's and women's basketball communities returned to campus during the Golden Weekend.  Baseball hosted the First Pitch Dinner, which annually celebrates the beginning of baseball season. This year's edition featured distinguished alumnus Will Rhymes, Director of Player Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as the keynote speaker.  Both basketball programs hosted alumni weekends around their "Golden Weekend" game and each contest was competitive and played in front of enthusiastic crowds. Every time we bring our alumni back to campus, I am struck by the depth of affection they have for their programs. Their ongoing commitment to W&M is deeply appreciated.

Speaking of our women's basketball program, we were delighted to celebrate the National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Sunday, January 29, by signing autographs and spending time with over 70 local youths who participated in a free pre-game sports clinic.  Student-athletes from lacrosse, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball and field hockey helped with the event as they shared tips about their sports.  As you can see in this video piece, both the "coaches" and "players" had a terrific time! 
 
Continuing with women's basketball, our first-year head coach, Erin Dickerson Davis, and her staff have been working tirelessly in leading the program to a 7-4 record since we started conference play on Dec. 30.  So, when the team had a rare in-season break recently, she packed up the group and headed to Washington, DC and toured the National Museum of African American History and Culture in advance of Black History Month. You can learn how this was more than just a road trip for our student-athletes in this piece by our Tribe Scribe.  This is the first in a series of stories we are working on to celebrate Black History Month.

Each day, more and more of our programs are entering their respective competition seasons.  Both tennis teams have kicked off their spring schedules and women's lacrosse has its first matchup this weekend.  Women's gymnastics didn't let the cold weather in Anchorage affect them as they posted season-high scores at the Alaska Dual Meet, while swimming is headed to the CAA Championships Feb. 22-25. Baseball season is RIGHT around the corner, with the team opening on the road at Mercer (Feb. 17-19), and, our indoor track and field programs continue to set new standards!

As usual, I'm looking ahead to some great upcoming events!  Registration just opened for the annual W&M Women's Lacrosse Golf Event hosted by Mike Tomlin and Ronde Barber. The ALL IN Weekend is Feb. 24-26 and it features our signature fundraising auction the Lord Botetourt Affair on Feb. 25.  If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, act fast as it is nearly sold out!  We took some time during the men's Gold Rush game this past weekend to celebrate some of our volunteers who are working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this year's auction the best one yet!

Speaking of celebrations, our Boston friends are invited to gather with members of the W&M Athletics Advancement team on Friday, Feb. 17 from 4-6 p.m. at the Castle Island Brewing Company.  The next day Tribe men's basketball plays Northeastern.  For more information and to save your place at happy hour, email jmfrey01@wm.edu.
 
Finally, if you need a fix of live Tribe sports, we have more than 60 events through the end of the month!  However, and I had to check this twice, we have NO events on Feb. 14, so let me wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day right now!
 
Go Tribe!