DANA ATHLETICS

New Donor Program Puts You Right in the Action

At first, Trevor Cissell just wanted a haircut like Viking senior guard Jeff Tesmer. Then Trevor wanted to shoot like him. After that, his mom, Teri, said, “He’s become obsessed with this player!”

Trevor’s obsession developed over the course of just one night, but as co-Coach of the Day, Trevor had enough contact with Tesmer and the rest of the men’s basketball team to know the difference between a player with just a cool haircut and a player with some cool skills.

Up-close and behind-the-scenes knowledge is a big part of the draw for Dana Athletics’ Coach of the Day program. Participants spend the entire “game day” with their favorite team, everything from the pre-game pep talk to the post-game celebration. Honorary coaches spend the game in the coaches’ area of the bench or dugout, listen in on timeouts and even lead the team in prayer. For a souvenir, coaches are presented with signed game balls to remind them of their experiences.

Trevor Cissell split the Coach of the Day honors and duties with his father, Gary Cissell ’80, who spent much of his time at Dana on the player’s side of the bench. Now director of flooring at Nebraska Furniture Mart in Omaha, Gary said he and Trevor had a great time participating in the Vikings’ easy Jan. 6 defeat of York College.

“It was great to be a part of the game,” Gary said. “The coaches and players treated both Trevor and I like we were part of the team, and that felt great. The experience is one that both Trevor and I will remember forever.”

The Coach of the Day program is new this year. Honorary coaches were at each of the Viking football games last fall, but the Cissells were the first to participate in another sport.

Bill Danenhauer, associate director of athletics for athletic development, assistant head football coach and director of the Viking Club, said all of Dana’s athletic programs welcome Coach of the Day participants.

“We want people to be a part of our programs and feel a sense of ownership of the Viking teams,” Danenhauer said. “Coaches of the Day get to see what happens with Viking Athletics from a personal point of view.”

The most tangible benefit for the teams is the participation fee honorary coaches pay. But Danenhauer said players get much more out of their visitors than some much-needed funds.

“I know our football guys really got a kick out of having these guys come in,” he said. “And I was talking to Coach (Chris) Fear the other night and he was telling me how much the basketball players loved having the Cissells there.”

As for Gary Cissell, he said his Coach of the Day experience was bittersweet. “Sweet because I was 1-0 as a coach,” he said. “Bitter because I was retiring as a coach.”

Trevor just tasted the sweetness, though. He said he had an awesome time as Coach of the Day. Not only did he have a story to tell his own middle school basketball team, but less than a week after his night at Dana, he received an autographed photo of Jeff Tesmer.

For More: Viking Coaches of the Day can be a part of any of the college's 13 athletic teams at any home game or meet. The participation fee is $200 and goes to help fund the team the donor chooses.

Contact:

Dana Athletic Department
Dana College
2848 College Drive
Blair, NE 68008
(402) 426-7290
bdanenha@acad2.dana.edu
www.dana.edu/athletics/viking_club