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LEE UNIVERSITY BASEBALL
A Commitment to Character, Integrity and Class
by Coach Dave Altopp

The fall of 1996 saw the launching of the Lee University baseball program. With 25 years experience as a head college baseball coach, I knew exactly what I wanted for this program. I wanted a program built with character, integrity, and class. This will NOT be a program where winning is everything or the only thing. Make no mistake! Everything we do will be done with the goal being to win and be successful. However, it will be done with a commitment to what I believe to be the ingredients for not only a successful program but also for the personal development of each player within our program.

Those ingredients are character, integrity, and class. These are highly prized attributes in society yet few people dedicate themselves to their development. It is a shame that many people do not attempt to develop these because they do not want to be seen as a "brown noser" or someone who "kisses up." I believe the real reason is a poor self-image. People who succeed do so because they know how to act, what to say and when to say it, are respectful of others and especially those in authority, and recognize there are some absolutes in life including a right and a wrong way to conduct their selves.

Character and integrity are often used interchangeably, although they do have different meanings. Character is all the qualities which a person may possess, one of which may be integrity. Character applies to the moral qualities that determine the way a person thinks, feels, and acts in THE IMPORTANT MATTERS OF LIFE, especially in relation to the principles of right and wrong. A well-known American military leader, Norman Schwartzkopf, has been quoted as saying, "Character is your behavior when no one is looking." The person you are "when no one is looking" is of highest importance in the Lee University baseball program. The reason is because you are NOT a baseball player only when you are doing baseball things (practice, games, team meetings, etc.). You are a baseball player 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year wherever you are and whatever you are doing. You are a representative of our program and I expect nothing but the highest personal behavior at ALL TIMES.

One of those qualities as one deals with "the important matters of life" is integrity. Integrity simply means honesty or sincerity. Our players are expected to be thoroughly honest in everything they do - including, but not limited to, their academic pursuits, their relationships with all the people in their lives, and the effort they give to the Lee University baseball program. If they are asked to run 10 laps or do 50 sit-ups, then I should NEVER have to count for them. When any workout is assigned (example: the weight room), they should NEVER have to be monitored!