Sept. 14, 2006
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics
I am very excited to introduce Sharon Perkins as the new head coach of our softball program. We had several very strong candidates for this position, which speaks to the program that has been built here and the appeal of Georgia Tech as an institution, and Sharon is clearly the person to take our program to even greater heights. She brings a tremendous amount of energy, a record of success and a clear plan for the future, and I’m looking forward to seeing her work with the young women on our team.
TWO GAMES IN SIX DAYS
We’re halfway through our four-game homestand to open the football season, and I’d like to thank everyone for your continued support. Naturally it was hard to top the Notre Dame experience, but we had a very good crowd for the Samford game. We need to sustain that momentum for Saturday’s game against a very good Troy team (did you see how they played Florida State?) and through our ACC opener against Virginia next Thursday night. Two home games in six days – what more could a football fan ask for!
We’re again offering $10 tickets for seats in the Upper North deck for the Troy game, so I encourage you to share that offer with friends, neighbors and co-workers who would like to be introduced to Georgia Tech football. We had good response to the $10 offer for Samford, selling more than 750 tickets, as we continue to look for ways to cultivate new Tech fans.
FOOTBALL SCHEDULING
Many of you ask about our football schedule and how and why we play the teams that we do. I sat down last week with one of our beat writers, Adam Van Brimmer of the Morris News Service, to talk about scheduling, and Adam wrote a very interesting and informative article that I’d like to share with you. Click here to read the article.
FALL SPORTS
The Tech volleyball team is off to a good start this fall with a 5-2 record, and Bond Shymansky’s squad hosts the Regency Midtown Suites Tournament this weekend. I encourage you to drop by O’Keefe Gymnasium after Saturday’s football game to see the volleyball team, which hosts matches at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. This weekend’s tournament is Tech’s final tuneup before ACC play begins next weekend at Wake Forest and Duke.
The men’s and women’s cross country season is also underway, with Alan Drosky’s squads running this weekend at the Tennessee Invitational, and the men’s and women’s tennis teams are competing in individual fall tournaments. Congratulations to men’s tennis coach Kenny Thorne, who is being inducted this weekend into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame. Fittingly, he will be presented for induction by his long-time doubles partner, Tech women’s coach Bryan Shelton, who is already a member of the Hall of Fame.
Finally, Bruce Heppler’s golf team, ranked eighth in the nation, opens its 2006-07 schedule by hosting the annual Carpet Capital Collegiate, Friday through Sunday at The Farm near Dalton, Ga.
BASKETBALL
It’s not too soon to start thinking about basketball season. We’re all looking forward to seeing the team that coach Paul Hewitt has assembled, and MaChelle Joseph’s women’s squad is also an exciting young team. The official start of preseason practice is Oct. 14, and this year the season begins earlier than ever – the men’s and women’s teams play their first regular season games on Friday Nov. 10 with a doubleheader at the Thrillerdome.
For the third straight year, men’s basketball season tickets are completely sold out, and those tickets are scheduled to be mailed in mid-October.
I encourage you to support our women’s basketball team, especially if you are looking for a great value in family entertainment. Jacket Jam is an interactive area for children with games, giveaways and prizes, similar to the WreckFest concept at football games, and we offer many opportunities for group packages and birthday parties. Please contact the Tech marketing office (404.894.4461) for details.
Again, thank you for your positive response to “The Good Word.” We welcome your feedback at goodword@athletics.gatech.edu While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every email that we receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your continued participation in this process. Some of your questions could become topics for future issues of The Good Word.
I also encourage you to share this letter with any Tech fan who may not have access to the Internet. Our goal is to inform and engage as many Yellow Jacket supporters as we possibly can.
I want to personally thank you for your continued support of Georgia Tech Athletics as we move forward with our vision for excellence.
Go Jackets!
