A Good Cause

Scrolling through the list of coaches who volunteered at Lauren's First and Goal Football Camp it was nice to find the name of Don Dobes, Dartmouth's first-year defensive coordinator and linebacker coach.

Dobes shared the following press release about the camp:

FOOTBALL CAMP RAISES FUNDS FOR PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH AND SUPPORT
Camp Donations Help Easton-Based Charity Surpass $1 Million Mark

EASTON, PA (June 8, 2010) - Nearly 1,700 high school football players attended the seventh annual Lauren's First and Goal Football Camp at Lafayette College on Sunday, June 6, and donated more than $67,000 to Lauren's First and Goal Foundation for pediatric brain tumor research, cancer services and family support.

For the year, the foundation has received more than $213,000 in donations, including a $100,000 commitment from the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration. With the proceeds from the camp, the foundation has raised more than $1 million since its creation in 2004.

"The success of this camp would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers and coaches and the unwavering support of Lafayette College," said John Loose, who created Lauren's First and Goal in honor of his 13-year-old daughter Lauren, a pediatric brain tumor survivor. "It is their dedication to this event that allows us to continue funding the search for a cure and to help families who battle this disease every day."

The Lauren's First and Goal Football Camp welcomed high school student-athletes from 15 different states and Canada, who received offensive and defensive instruction from more than 250 volunteer coaches representing colleges and universities across the nation. In addition, U.S. Naval Academy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo was the featured guest speaker and addressed the campers over lunch. Niumatalolo talked about the four quarters of life and the importance of showing gratitude, making good decisions and being selfless.

Along with the Pennsylvania camp, the foundation will be hosting another one-day event at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio on Sunday, June 27. The camps raise money through a $30 registration fee for each student-athlete as well as non-camper donations. Of every dollar received, the foundation donates 90 cents toward research, services, family support and awareness of pediatric brain tumors and cancer.

To the credit of the schools and the coaches who volunteered, every 2010 Dartmouth opponent – plus once-and-future opponents Colgate and New Hampshire – had someone helping out. Nice to see.

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Former Dartmouth defensive back Muhammed Abdul-Shakoor is one of two varsity athletes among the 10 marshals leading the Class of 2010 into commencement Sunday. Find a link here.

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A 6-foot-7, 305-pound "rising senior" from Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, Calif., has been "offered" by Dartmouth thanks to his talents on the field and in the classroom. Of course, he also has an offer from Stanford and interest from the schools you would expect: Duke, Boston College, Cal, Harvard, Notre Dame, Vandy et al. Learn a little more about Brian Moran here.

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Want to sneak onto the sidelines and pose as a Bucknell coach for the Big Green opener next fall? (Just kidding, of course.) But credit to the folks out in Lewisburg, Pa., for finding a way to keep the interest building in football by auctioning off, "the official 2010 Bucknell Football Sideline long-sleeved coaching t-shirt and hat." Check out this page.

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The preseason magazines have started to meld into one so you'll have to excuse me if I already posted The Sporting News FCS Top 25 (current Dartmouth opponents in bold, original opponents for 2010 in italics):

1. Villanova
2. Montana
3. Appalachian State
4. Southern Illinois
5. Richmond
6. Stephen F. Austin
7. South Dakota State
8. James Madison
9. Elon
10. New Hampshire
11. Prairie View A&M
12. Montana State
13. William & Mary
14. Holy Cross
15. South Carolina State
16. Illinois State
17. Samford
18. Delaware
19. Eastern Kentucky
20 Colgate
21. Eastern Washington
22. Wofford
23. Penn
24. Cal Poly
25. Northern Iowa

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And finally, new Dartmouth men's basketball coach Paul Cormier knows he has his work cut out for him rebuilding the Big Green program. A Q&A in the local paper today makes it abundantly clear that players who want to get on the court have their work cut out as well. Some plain talk from a driven coach includes this:

There are some kids on our team I see and I'm wondering why they played so much last year. There are some I'm wondering why they didn’t play more. But there's not one person who we need to start next season or couldn’t afford to be without.

Find the full Q&A here.