Oct. 12, 2005
By Bo Rottenborn
“Bridging the Gap Between Legend and Legacy” is the one-phrase mission statement of the Notre Dame Monogram Club. To that end, the organization – which is comprised of individuals who have earned the University’s varsity athletic insignia for their athletic or team support endeavors – commenced with a new initiative during the 2005-06 academic year, a sports liaison program, which pairs board members with the current Irish teams in an attempt to “bridge the gap.” The primary goals of the program are to increase the profile of each varsity program within the Club and to provide better support from the Club for each sport, and to strengthen the bridge between the Monogram Club and all of the student-athletes in the hopes that doing so will help increase active Club membership among young alumni.
“The purpose of the liaison program is to foster a robust and mutually beneficial relationship between the Monogram Club and all of Notre Dame’s varsity sports,” says board member and former soccer player Marvin Lett (’87), a driving force behind the program. “As our teams progress through the school year, we want to keep informed of their competitive and academic goals and successes. The Club also wants to help play a part in the teams achieving their full potential.”
Some board members were tabbed to be a liaison to the sport in which he/she earned a monogram. For instance, Katie King Doree – who graduated in 1998 as the all-time Irish leader in career stroke average – is the liaison for the women’s golf team. The entire executive committee of the Monogram Club serves as liaisons for the football team, with former two-time Academic All-America free safety – and current Club second vice-president – Joe Restic (’79) taking the lead in that endeavor. (See box for complete list of liaisons.)
Another aspect of the liaison program, according to Lett, is to increase awareness among current student-athletes as to Monogram Club activities.
“We want the liaison program to help introduce our student-athletes to the many ways in which the Club contributes to the University’s mission. Those range from the Club’s scholarship program for the children of monogram winners to its donating computers and providing funding to the University to help our student-athletes excel on the field of play and in the classroom. We hope that as present student-athletes graduate and go on to become contributing members of their respective communities, they also want to join the Monogram Club and help us maintain and build the rich traditions of Notre Dame,” says Lett.
Specifically, the Monogram Club member assigned to each team is charged with opening a dialogue with the head coach and following the team’s performance throughout the year. He or she also aims to attend one or more games or events during the season, as well as the year-end banquet. At that time the liaison will present the team MVP award – long sponsored by the Monogram Club – to further put a face on the organization. The liaison will then be able to keep the Club better apprised of the team’s success, while the student-athletes will gain more of a glimpse into both the impact the Club has on them now, as well as a possible way of giving back to future Irish student-athletes when their time at Notre Dame is finished.
Monogram Club Sports LiaisonsBaseball - Dick Nussbaum (baseball '74), Rick Pullano (baseball '79)Men's Basketball - Marc Kelly (basketball '82), Mike Mitchell (basketball '82)Women's Basketball - Christy Grady (manager '98), Carol Lally Shields (basketball '79)Cross Country/Track & Field - Kristine Kramer Richards (track & cross country '95), Jim Tyler (track & cross country '86)Fencing - Kevin McDermott (manager '73)Football - Joe Restic (football '79) and executive committeeMen's Golf - Mike Heaton (football & golf '68)Women's Golf - Katie King Doree (golf '98)Hockey - Marty Allen (manager '58), Mike Heaton (football & golf '68)Men's Lacrosse - Chris Smith (football '85)Women's Lacrosse - Michael Frantz (football '73)Rowing - Frank Reynolds (football '59)Men's Soccer - Marvin Lett (soccer '87)Women's Soccer - Jill Matesic (soccer '95), Molly Lennon Anderson (soccer '92)Softball - Barbara Mooney (softball '89)Men's Swimming & Diving - Dan Rahill (swimming '79)Women's Swimming & Diving - Michael Eiben (wresling '65)Men's Tennis - Chris Kane (tennis '75)Women's Tennis - Rick Pullano (baseball '79), Dick Nussbaum (baseball '74)Volleyball - Julie Pierson Doyle (volleyball '85), Katie Neff (volleyball '04)