University of Colorado Athletics
Ski Team Headed To The White House!
March 22, 2006 | Skiing
BOULDER- The University of Colorado ski team, recently crowned the 2006 NCAA champions, has been invited to the White House in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day on April 6.
The Buffaloes, who claimed the 17th national ski title in their history on March 11 in Steamboat Springs, will become the first from the school to be afforded the honor and privilege of meeting the president of the United States in the traditional White House ceremony.
CU officials were in discussions for the 1990 national champion football team to make the trip to Washington D.C., but it was postponed after the first Gulf War broke out in January 1991.
National Student-Athlete Day (NSAD) has been celebrated annually every April 6 since 1987. The founders of the day promote that it "is America's day to celebrate outstanding student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics while having made significant contributions to the community. It is also a time to recognize those parents, teachers, coaches and school systems which make it possible for young people to find the balance between academics and athletics." For more information on NSAD, visit their website at http://www.nsad.cc/index1.htm.
The entire team, coaches and student-athletes, have been invited, along with select university personnel. The CU contingent will depart on Wednesday, April 5, and will be honored along with other national championship teams at a yet-to-be-determined time on Thursday, April 6, once President George Bush's schedule for the day is finalized.
The invitation has special meaning to Colorado head coach Richard Rokos, who defected from a communist Czechoslovakia to the United States in 1981, settling in Detroit before calling Colorado his permanent home starting in 1982.
"I couldn't believe it when I got the call," Rokos said. "To say that I am excited about this opportunity would be an understatement. It's probably the unique opportunity to achieve such public recognition in a skiers' career. I've never heard of a ski team getting this honor, and we are absolutely thrilled by the offer. This will be the most recognizable moment in their careers. It's not unusual for champions to be recognized, but we're pretty certain after checking around that this is a first for a college ski program, so it's great for the sport. We're also lucky, since they don't invite every champion and this year, it was skiing's turn."
CU athletic director Mike Bohn and the Buff Club are currently securing funding for the trip, as the school must cover travel and hotel expenses.
"This is an incredible honor and reward for the ski team, the athletic department, and the entire university community," Bohn said. "Not only will they have the memories from winning the championship, to be invited to the White House and to meet the president of the United States is one of the ultimate privileges anyone can have in their lifetime."
A lead donation has been made to support this initiative; others interested in making contributions can call Rocko DeLuca at 303/541-1324.
