Celebrating the Magnificence of NCAA Division III Athletes
Today I pause to thank our student-athletes for all they do and the many ways they contribute to our campus. Our nearly 400 Division III student-athletes are important members of our Buffalo State College community. They chose to come to Buffalo State because of our outstanding academic and community programs, but also because they wanted to play their chosen sport. Our student-athletes not only have a passion for their games; they also understand that the lessons they learn on the courts and the fields contribute to their success now and in the future.
In many ways, Buffalo State’s student-athletes have perfected the art of balance. They are up early in the morning and frequently late at night to condition, practice, compete, and study. The skills they learn from their athletic pursuits are transferable across other domains. They practice what it means to lead and what it means to follow as their teams set goals and move toward success. They learn that goals can be personal or collective, and in both cases, they can press through difficult situations to achieve success.
Although our student-athletes are recognizable in their uniforms, playing their sports, they are also seen across campus or within the city contributing in ways that lift our community and our neighborhoods. Our student-athletes are often found leading campus organizations, participating in student governance, and providing service to community members in need. The traits that foster personal athletic ability while cultivating leadership skills place our student-athletes on the road to success in and outside the classroom. Each year, as students are recognized across campus, we see student-athletes garnering many of our highest academic recognitions while also being recognized for their athletic prowess.
This has been an extremely difficult year for all members of our campus community, but especially for our student-athletes. Their athletic competition has been derailed in addition to the many other adjustments we have all had to make to maintain health and safety precautions so that education could continue. Our student-athletes have borne the challenges in ways that represent the Buffalo State spirit: together we will get through this to the other side. They have weathered our current obstacles with agility, fortitude, compassion, and grace.
So today, during NCAA Division III week, I stop to celebrate our student-athletes and to thank them for the many ways they contribute to our Buffalo State community.
