Georgetown Students Ask Alonzo Mourning, Coach John Thompson III and Ted Leonsis...
Backstage, we had a chance to ask some of the panelists questions that students had submitted for "Think About It: An Afternoon of Ideas." Here is one of their questions:
"In college athletics, how do winning and learning correlate?"
"There's a pretty solid connection between winning and learning. Winning doesn't happen by itself; there are protocols--we need to follow the plan and see it through to the end. So they go hand in hand. ... A person who's winning is truly committed to making the sacrifice that it takes to win. They're willing to give of themselves."
-Alonzo Mourning (C'92)
Founder and Chairman of Alonzo Mourning Charities, Inc.,
Seven-Time NBA All-Star
"They are not mutually exclusive. We are at an educational institution. We are teachers: we have to teach our team. You don't have to sacrifice one or the other."
- John Thompson III
Head Coach of the Georgetown University Men’s Basketball Program
"Sports is definitely one of the great metaphors for life. Teams help you get out of the 'I' and into the 'we' and allow young adults to compete, and in our society and economy, competition is important. Collective success is better than individual success."
- Ted Leonsis (C’77)
Founder and Chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment,
Member of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University