Think Beyond the Competition: Dr. Richard Lapchick

The DeVos Program is unique with its emphasis on diversity, community service, ethics, and leadership.
There are no other programs in the country that emphasize these four things, and that right away sets us apart
from the other graduate programs.
We've accomplished this in such a short period of time because of the amazing team that we're working with.
Our students founded the "Hope for Stanley Foundation".
It's a group that's come together to help rebuild the lower ninth ward.
Since December of 2006 they've spent twenty-three weeks in the lower ninth ward helping that process.
Our students co-author the "Racial and Gender Report Card," which analyzes the hiring practices by race and gender of
Major League Baseball, the NBA, the WNBA, the NFL, Major League Soccer, and college sport.
Our students also co-author graduation rate studies on the bowl bound teams in December,
in football and the college basketball NCAA division one men's and women's basketball teams in March.
This isn't just about winning and loosing on the field.
It's about creating a sports world that's fair, that mimics for society what it can be.
It doesn't matter if you're African-American, or white, or Latino, or Asian-American, or Native-American.
It doesn't matter if you're protestant, catholic, Jew, Buddhist. Sikh, Hindu, rich or old.
You can't win unless you pull together as a team.
Above all, we're a family. At the end of each meeting and phone call that Drs. Sutton, Harrison and I have,
it's not unusual for us to say, "I Love You," and to say it genuinely.
And that's how we feel about the students that come into our program.
We love them individually and collectively and they all become part of our family, not for just two years, but for life.