[OZ_341]

There have been many threads this year about what it takes to win Chairman's. I have generally kept quiet on the topic, but I thought I would finally reply here.

There are certainly plenty of amazing teams that have yet to win Chairman's and I think their day will come. The point I would like to make below is that you can do this in a variety of ways, but that you must be driven by internal motivation.
To be a Chairman's team requires a look inside yourself before you move out into the community. I emphasize with my team to focus on the INTERNAL rewards of helping others, learning and having FUN!!! Every thing we do has to pass the "FUN TEST". Every project that we undertake has to help others or simply be for fun. We won't do something that does not meet these two simple criteria. If a team does this, then the external rewards, like Chairman's, will follow.
Our off-season competition Ramp Riot is an excellent example. We started in 2000 with an idea. We simply wanted to keep on playing when the season was over. The first year we had 7 teams in an empty gym. Our sponsor at the time, told us that they thought off-season events were not a good idea and therefore would not fund it. But we didn't give up because it was meaningful and FUN.
If you come to Ramp Riot, this November, you will find 28 teams and a completely STUDENT-RUN event that raises thousands of dollars. This is not because we are a big team, but because we had students that would not give up on a great idea. This is what legendary hockey coach, Herb Brooks called sacrificing for the "unknown ". You must do this on daily basis to be a Chairman's team.

Each Fall we step into a room of 40 students with almost zero in the bank and a whole lot of BIG IDEAS!!. What we do each year is take hold of these big ideas and find a way to make them happen.

So I guess my message is to think big, work hard, but do it because it is meaningful to you and will help others. That way when you look back on your year, you will never be disappointed.

Best of luck to all in the off-season!!

Al Ostrow