Dream in Gold

Like Charlotte posted earlier, we were fortunate enough to get into a power lunch with Antawn Jamison and Misty May-Treanor this afternoon. Heading into the lunch I thought it would be more of the lecture variety with both athletes discussing the problems of underage drinking. It was very surprising to me that although they did address the issue, the lunch was really an opportunity for us to meet some of our heroes in real life. They were great and very appreciative of the fact that they have the power to give back to the community and were eager to sign autographs, pose for photos, and even shoot some hoops with us. I knew Antawn was a nice person given his demeanor on the court, but he went out of his way to be accommodating and he even remembered our names well into the lunch. I got to play a bit of one on one against him and took a few shots. I scored the first bucket and then he made a shot and called it a tie so that he could play with some other fans. It was tremendous just being on the makeshift court with him. Misty was also very enthusiastic in her presentation and she was very personable with us. She signed a volleyball for me with advice to "dream in gold" and explained that whenever I set goals for myself I should proceed with confidence that I can achieve what I set my mind to and not to sell myself short. Given how I really enjoyed watching her and Kerri Walsh win the gold medal in Beijing it was mesmerizing to be in her presence and have her say a few words to me. The final person that I got to meet was Brenda Van Langer who is a college basketball analyst for ESPN. Not many people knew who she was so when I went up to her and mentioned that I enjoy listening to her play-by-play broadcasting and her insight into the game she was very impressed and was willing to give me a few minutes of her time. I asked her about what it is like going to practices during the final four and meeting with all of the stars of the game and she gave me an answer that pretty much summed up that it is terrific. Overall, I had great time meeting with some of my favorite athletes and seeing them give back to the community with their cause. Giving time and energy back to the fans not only makes what they had to say more meaningful, but it also gives young people a chance to see that athletes are humans and champion causes of concern just like the rest of us.