Fall is here and our sports season is in full swing.  Many of our teams are now in competition, and our winter sports squads will soon begin practice as well.  This is one of my favorite times of the year!
 

I want all of you to know what a privilege it is to be the Director of Athletics at Henderson.  We are blessed with many outstanding student-athletes who represent the Reddie brand the right way every day.  I am fortunate to be able to interact with these fine young people and see the limitless potential they have to one day go out into the "real world" and make a positive difference.  As we all read stories of professional athletes in trouble, it is so refreshing to work with quality NCAA Division II student-athletes who lead balanced lives on our campus and have their priorities in the right order. 
 

This Saturday is a very special day.  Nine individuals will be inducted into the Reddie Hall of Honor.  The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. in the beautiful new Garrison Center Grand Ballroom.  A full list of the inductees is here:

Hall of Honor 2014
 

This group represents the best of Henderson State.  They were tremendous student-athletes in their respective sports, but more importantly, they have gone out in the world and made a real difference as coaches, teachers, military leaders, school administrators, mentors and spiritual leaders as well.  All of them embody the "Reddie Spirit" in their selfless service to others.  Please consider coming to the Reddie Hall of Honor Banquet.  Tickets to the ceremony and brunch are $15.  Call 870-230-5161 to reserve your seats for this special day!
 

The 7th ranked Reddies football team (4-0) will host Northwestern Oklahoma Saturday at 3 p.m. at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium.  The Hall of Honor Class will be introduced at 2:40 p.m. in a pre-game ceremony so plan to arrive early to honor these fine folks!
 

We will once again run the Reddie Gameday Shuttles beginning at 12 p.m. from the corner of 12th and Wilson Streets.  The shuttles are free for our great fans and will drop off at Duke Wells for those who want to tailgate and at the main entrance to the Stadium.  This should allow for ample parking on campus.  The Reddie Gameday Shuttles will stage outside the main gates to provide rides back to 12th and Wilson until one hour after the game ends.  
 

The Reddie Alumni Tent will be located north of the Wells Center and our friends from ARAMARK will provide a hamburger/hot dog meal for $6.  You are all invited to enjoy this meal prior to the game.  Plan to arrive a couple hours before the 3 p.m. kickoff and enjoy the meal, the inflatable games for kids located east of Duke Wells, Cajun Snow and most importantly, the fellowship that goes along with joining fellow Reddies in a special game day atmosphere.  
 

Personally, I cannot wait to see the Showband of Arkansas and their entrance to the stadium!  We had a wonderful showcase on national television for game one, but a brief thunderstorm with lightening forced us to alter pre-game plans for game one due to safety issues.  This Saturday, we are looking at sunshine and 73 degrees for a high temperature so it will be a picture-perfect day to be on campus!
 

Speaking of the home opener, THANK YOU to all of you for coming out and providing a tremendous environment for the CBS Sports Network game!  The crew of CBS Sports Network was truly amazed by the cooperation and warm welcome they received from Reddie Nation.  That is a credit to the many wonderful people on our campus, from the Physical Plant to ARAMARK to Troy Mitchell and our media relations team and it is also a huge credit to all of you for making Henderson State look so good to a national audience!   
 

If you did not get the chance to see the halftime feature on Reddies All-American Quarterback Kevin Rodgers, do yourself a favor and check it out here:

 

I had tears in my eyes as I watched the story of this amazing young man leading our Reddies in service to those in need in the Mayflower/Vilonia areas and I bet you will too as you watch it!
 

In addition to football, our volleyball, men's and women's golf, tennis and cross country teams are in action as well.  Swimming and Diving hosted an intrasquad meet last week and the men's and women's basketball teams will soon begin practice.  Our softball and baseball programs hosted family weekends last week as part of their "fall ball" schedule and I know a good time was had by all!  
 

To keep up with all of our teams, please frequent www.hsusports.com.  You can also "Like" us on Facebook at Henderson State Athletics, follow us on Twitter @ReddieAthletics and on Instagram @Reddie_Athletics.  You can also go to our YouTube page  for highlights and special features on our student-athletes.  Earlier this week, we had fun with Reddies wide receiver Mark Czaus and all the ways people mispronounce his name.  Enjoy:

 

Homecoming is right around the corner on Saturday, October 25.  I cannot wait for this special weekend of festivities as the Reddies "Come on Home".