Dream High, Work Harder, and Keep On Smiling!

One after another, the honorees delivered their acceptance speeches from the dais.  Their words reflected gratitude for the influence of spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, and coaches, some of whom were present, some of whom were with them only in spirit.  There were moments of emotion.  There were moments of humor. There were stories galore, much stream-of-consciousness narrative, and even a bit of hyperbole although it would be difficult to exaggerate the accomplishments of bona fide hall-of-famers.

There was Dave Rosenfield, general manager of the International League’s Norfolk Tides from 1963-2011. There was Rich Murray, media relations official at James Madison University and University of Richmond for 40 years. There was Marianne Stanley, who coached the Old Dominion University women’s basketball team to three national championships during her tenure from 1977-1987. There were Charlie Stukes (Chesapeake native, Baltimore Colts), James Farrior (Matoaca High School, UVA, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers), and Charles Oakley (Virginia Union, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks).

Then there was Rob Ukrop, a soccer superstar at Collegiate, two-time All-American at Davidson College, career leader in goals, assists, and points for the Richmond Kickers, and now a member of five – yes, five! – halls of fame.

The final honoree of the evening, Ukrop, who set aside his trademark attire (baggy athletic shorts and hoodie) for a resplendent black tuxedo, was his usual exuberant yet totally sincere, humble self.  His well-chosen, poignant remarks reflected appreciation to those who have encouraged him along his personal and professional journey as well as sense of wonder that he was even considered for such recognition.  They were at once personal and universal and resonated not just with his family and friends but, truly, with all in the room. Words like “COOL!” (caps and punctuation intended) and “blessed” and “surreal” and, more than once, “honored” captured his spirit.

What follows are excerpts from 1988 graduate's presentation.

I am honored to be the fourth soccer contributor to join the Hall of Fame. I first realized soccer was gaining a foothold in the world of sports at the 1995 NCAA Men’s Soccer Final Four when I was chatting with Ralph Sampson in the hospitality tent. As we were chatting, this 8-year-old boy kept looking at Ralph and then me, then Ralph, then me, and finally he says, ‘Excuse, Mr. Ukrop, could I get your autograph?’ I suggested to him that he probably should get Ralph’s autograph too.

I am honored to have my Mom (Jayne) and Dad (Bobby), my siblings, Jacquelin, Jeff, and Nancy Jo and many of their children, some of my former teammates, former coaches, close friends, and more family (some whom were unable to attend but my Aunt Nancy is listening on Facetime as I speak).

I am especially thrilled that my beautiful wife Shannon and my children Peyton and Presley are able to share this evening with me. While they know very little about my past athletic career, I am honored to have them as teammates. I absolutely love my full-time role of husband and father.

Faith has always been important in our family. The lessons from Sunday morning at church and then lunch with family at Redbird Farm on most Sunday afternoons reinforced the power of a relationship with God and how to serve others.  Mom and Dad have always encouraged us to be good teammates, embrace my role, and…be cool under pressure.

My fondest memories as a young athlete were competing with my Dad in everything.  Shooting hoops together, learning how to water ski and snow ski, and summers at Willow Oaks when he would take me out to play nine holes with him. While I didn’t beat him at anything until I turned 18, he taught me how to compete to the best of my ability, while always exhibiting grace in both victory and defeat.
While he taught me how to be competitive (sometimes too competitive), I always had a secret weapon as an athlete, the full support of the best (and loudest) cheerleader in town, my Mom. I recall days of constant embarrassment when she would shout out, “I love you, #6,” “Score a goal, #6,” “You can do it, #6” from my early days in youth soccer to my career at Collegiate to my years at Davidson College and finally in front of 48,500 fans in the Meadowlands in 1996 during the inaugural season of MLS.   It took me 20-plus years to figure out that her encouragement was the secret to my success.

Everyone in this room has a special gift, I encourage each of you to identify your gift and share it with others.  The amazing thing about sports isn’t the wins or losses or awards. It is about creating life-long relationships, building community, and strengthening families. I am blessed that soccer has allowed me a platform to make a difference in the lives of others.  I hope one day to be a great encourager like my Mom and Dad and siblings and friends and family that have helped me achieve things I didn’t always think were possible. So…change up your daily routine, take your kids for ice cream, laugh at yourself, and be genuinely amazed that your words and actions can inspire others. Dream high, work harder, and keep on smiling!
                                      -- Weldon Bradshaw