Yesterday, 22 Juniors and Sophomores from Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada, together with their families and friends came to campus to participate in our 2nd Annual Summer Soccer Recruiting Visit Day.

The group, about sixty people, had a full day of meetings, starting with the registration in the Allen Center at 11:30 am.

Assistant Coach Oleck and myself, together with upcoming Senior Captains Gary Simkus and Dan Storey, plus Junior George Padgitt and Junior Captain Jon Funston, and Sophomore Drew Kapsalis, spent the first 45 minutes in the Athletic Dept. classroom introducing the soccer program and its immediate and long term goals to our prospective recruits and their families.

After a quick walk through the Allen Center, our outstanding athletic facility, the group went to Hays Hall and spent the next four hours in the conference room listening to our panelists and participating in Q&A segments.

The day continued with a campus tour and ended with a buffet dinner at Detchon Hall catered by Bon Appetit.

Overall, it was a great day for these young men to receive a taste of our college, our soccer program, and what it means to be a Wabash students. Our hope is that they have "felt" what special place our Wabash college is and that they will come back in the fall when our students are back in session.

My deepest gratitude goes to everyone involved in making this event a complete success.

Our Career Center Director, Scott Crawford, and Intern Kyle Dunaway for enlightening the audience to the many after-school possibilities open to our graduates. Our Professors Scott Feller, Melissa Butler, Dwight Watson, and David Maharry for engaging the participants in academic discussions. Our Admission and Finance Aid Damon Howell and Latasha for explaining so clearly our admission and finance aid requirements. Mrs. Simkus, Gary's mother, who came down to participate in the student/parents segment even though her son had just returned home from Spain, where he stayed for six months, the night before. Assistant Coach Jeff Oleck for his help in organizing and leading this event. Our Athletic Secretary Debbie Starnes and Admission Visit Coordinator Mary Skelton for their work "behind the scenes," and our Campus Services Crew for their help in arranging the classrooms.

Additionally, I would like to thank Sam Compton-Craig of the Dean of Students Office and Dean of Admissions, Steve Klein, for coming out to meet the group and dine with us at Detchon.

When we finally thanked and said goodbye to these young men, I felt we accomplished our mission, as the hugs that accompanied the shaking of hands let me believe that the message arrived loud and clear.

"WHO ARE WE?" WE ARE ...WABASH!!