Football is a long-standing tradition at the University. It causes students to don Anne Taylor dresses or pink oxford shirts for games and alumni to gather for tailgates outside Scott Stadium. But as they watch players in Virginia jerseys, fans rarely ask themselves how each player came to David A. Harrison III field.
Most University football players on scholarship arrive on Grounds via the Cavalier Connection. Through this student-run program, University students work with the football program to host athletes being courted to play football for Virginia.
Second-year College student Christa Dow began working with the program in her second semester because she loves football.
"We're pretty much a guide service," said Dow, who will be a team leader for the program next year.
In addition to giving tours, Cavalier Connection members have a part in shaping Virginia's football team in coming years.
Mike Groh, the Virginia wide receivers coach, thinks the Cavalier Connection has the power to transform the Virginia team.
"I think the program is important because the more student involvement we have, the better," Groh said. "We need a group of enthusiastic students willing to work and help us win a national championship. [The coaches] can't do it alone."
Cavalier Connection's tour process begins with unofficial visits, where high school players watch a home game from a special reserved section after a catered lunch in Bryant Hall with their parents. The prospectives then get to meet Virginia coaches and players to ask them questions about the football program.
First-year College student Jon Ward went through the program last year and believes it helped him decide to come to the University.
"It was nice," said Ward, who is now a Virginia running back. "It gave me a chance to get acclimated with the players and the coaches."
Later, the prospective student athletes get a chance to talk to their student hosts about other aspects of the University - this time without the prying ears of parents and coaches.
"We answer their questions that they don't want to ask coaches, or that they don't want their parents to hear," Dow said. "They want to know about stuff like student life and the social scene."
This informal part of the process is the real crux of responsibility for student volunteers. Their job is to acquaint the prospectives with the University while showing them why they love their school.
A host's "enthusiasm and love for the University may convince a recruit to come to U.Va.," Groh said.
First-year College student Chris Canty also toured with the Cavalier Connection and thought the program was very beneficial.
"It was definitely a plus," the outside linebacker said of the program. "It showed me what the school had to offer. It was a well-organized presentation of the University."
In the months after unofficial tours, Virginia coaches narrow down the pool of prospectives. When Virginia offers scholarships to selected players, these recruits are invited back for official visits. On these visits, the players stay for an entire weekend and get a better feel for the school.
Every assistant coach is in charge of recruiting players from specific geographic areas.
"Each member of the program is assigned to one assistant coach, often because they are from the area that the coach is responsible for recruiting in," Groh explained.
Also, members of the program are encouraged to keep the assistant coaches updated on the achievements of high school football players from their hometowns and counties.
For the student volunteers, their experience with the Cavalier Connection is extremely rewarding.
"Working with the program leads to other avenues," Dow said. "It really helps people who are interested in marketing get involved. I can put it down on my resume as personal relations."
Fourth-year College student Libby Burger, the student director for the program, points out that the staff and coaches of the Virginia football team want to give back to the students who help develop the program.
"There are lots of recruiting positions available," Groh said. "Fortune 500 companies are looking for students who were involved with programs like this."
In addition to resume-building experience, students get to know members of the football team personally.
"There are guys that I hosted on the team now," Dow said. "Then you can say that you know the players, not just know of them."
Virginia head football coach Al Groh agrees with Dow that the program bridges a gap between the athletes and the rest of the University.
"The students who are a part of Cavalier Connection create a connection between the football program and the student body," Al Groh said.
Cavalier Connection now is redoubling its recruiting efforts in hopes of adding at least 15 new hosts.
"We've been recruiting a lot at sororities," Dow said. She said more women tend to be involved with the program than men, roughly at a 10:1 ratio.
"We want a lot of first years," Dow said. "We're looking for people who are enthusiastic and willing to work."
Cavalier Connection has been holding frequent information sessions to prepare for its Friday application deadline. Applications are available at the McCue Center, where the football staff has its offices.
For those students interested in being what Dow calls "informed football hostesses," Cavalier Connection offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get to know Virginia's current football team and future team face to face.
"We don't want to operate as an island over here," Al Groh said of the football program. "We want students who aren't on the playing field to be involved as well"
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