Ordinarily I would be posting a blog from Arizona, California, or Texas right about now. I normally travel with one of our sports teams on their spring break trip. It's a great experience. I get to know the players a little better, which helps me (hopefully) tell more of their great stories. This year one of those great stories came from Wabash alum Bob Bittel '57.

This year the strange leap year calendar had the Little Giant spring teams traveling while the Wabash basketball team was competing in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. I had already talked to Wabash coaches Cory Stevens, Jason Hutchison, and Mac Petty about my travel plans. Everything was in place to get the results from each sport as quickly as possible so we could share them with everyone on the web site. 

Part of that information heads out in an email to alums and friends of the College who have requested an email copy of the stories as soon as they are posted to the site. Bob is one of many alums with whom I've developed on-going online conversations regarding the success of the Little Giant teams. Bob has sent emails during radio broadcasts letting me know he's listening and cheering along with the Little Giant fans in the stadium while he listens to the game in his home in Yorba Linda, California. 

When Bob received the tennis results from California during the first part of the spring break week, he sent me an email asking about their schedule. Thursday's tennis match at Whittier was close enough for him to make a trip to watch the Little Giants in person and meet some of the players he had read about all season long. 

Here's a note Bob sent me last night after going to see Wabash fall 6-3 to Whittier:

Brent,

I was able to make it to Whittier College to see the Wabash tennis team play and it was just great! Meeting Coach Hutchison and the team members reinforced my respect for Wabash, its sports program and its student athletes. Had some great conversations with the Coach and players. The matches here were their first outdoors and a couple of them were sunburned. One of the guys was celebrating his birthday today. They were looking forward to seeing the L.A. Kings hockey game tonight from a luxury box, no less. Thanks for sending out the notification of their playing here during Spring Break!
GO WABASH!

Bob

I've seen this same thing happen again and again as Wabash teams travel to different parts of the country. I'm so happy one of the College's number one fans got a chance to spend some time with the players during their trip to California. Thanks, Bob, for your never-ending support of Wabash.

If you would like to be included on the same email list Bob and many others have joined to receive updates regarding Wabash athletics, drop me an email at harrisb@wabash.edu. Let me know what sports you are interested in and we'll add you to the list.