Athletic Department Introduces New Program

Recent announcement spreads Bronco spiritBrendan WeberTHE SANTA CLARAOctober 17, 2013 Santa Clara athletics is “On a Mission.” In a literal sense, the various athletic teams do indeed reside on the Mission Campus. Figuratively, the Broncos have adopted this three-word phrase as a new rallying message.In a recent announcement, the Athletic Department unveiled its On a Mission campaign to create a collective Bronco identity as a way to form a lasting connection between the various athletic teams along with the greater Santa Clara family.Santa Clara Athletic Director Dan Coonan noted that the new theme can “really bind us and tie us all together.”The different squads that represent Santa Clara athletics each have their own inherent culture and identity. The Athletic Department wanted to bring each team’s uniqueness and personality together to create a shared Bronco identity with this new idea.The new theme “conjures up just everything that I want all of us to be about: focused, driven, passionate, committed, proud,” said Coonan.The name not only captures the Athletic Department’s goal of unifying the various athletic teams, but also the fans, Ruff Riders, alumni, donors and the greater Santa Clara community as well.Men’s basketball player Denzel Johnson spoke highly of the new program.“I like the idea,” Johnson said. “I like the fact that it is putting all the student-athletes in a situation where we can all be supportive of each other. I think we have a new mindset this year to support not only our team but other teams on campus and to further the progress of our athletic program.”Junior Yannick Atanga, also a member of the men’s basketball team, added that spreading the message will help unify both student-athletes and students.Immediate effects of the new program have already started to appear across the Santa Clara campus. Some teams have created t-shirts to spread the word about the new theme. Student-athletes that have dedicated two full years to Bronco athletics have been given varsity jackets and the women’s crew team may even name a boat after the slogan.  Sophomore Andi Tostanoski, goalkeeper of the women’s soccer team, noted that the “On a Mission” phrase has also been spotted on different social networking websites, such as Twitter, as a way to spread the word and keep student-athletes focused on what the theme is trying to convey.The actual name of the new program did not come easy to Coonan. Despite his urgency to unveil the theme to the Athletic Department, Coonan wanted a perfect name that would fit with what he wanted Santa Clara athletics to embody. “On a Mission” fulfilled that desire.Coonan has high expectations for the new concept and hopes that the theme will catch on quickly among student-athletes and Santa Clara supporters alike.“I think it can be a really unifying force and I think the things that we are attaching to it can really help energize our student-athletes, and our student body and our fan base and the school,” he said.Tostanoski also commented on how the On a Mission program has the ability to bring together the Athletic Department and the campus as a whole.“If everyone can get involved and everyone knows what the mission is trying do -— trying to unify the school — then I think that a lot more people will want to come and be a part of the movement,” said Tostanoski.Current and future Broncos now have a way to stay passionate, focused and driven while they compete as athletes and develop as students. Although the “On a Mission” name may work as a theme for many different universities across the country, it will always be unique to Santa Clara. Contact Brendan Weber at bweber@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.