DirecTV Vacation Bowl president Dennis DuBard toured the USS Abraham Lincoln on Sunday afternoon with gamers and coaches from the Louisville and USC soccer groups.
As a port metropolis, San Diego affords an expertise few different postseason video games can match. The ship tour yearly is among the many highlights of bowl week for the groups.
This 12 months’s tour represented a full-circle second for DuBard.
In 2002, he was commanding officer of the USS Peleliu, a Marine helicopter provider then stationed in San Diego. The ship that 12 months hosted gamers and coaches from Kansas State and Arizona State.
“We have been fairly excited,” DuBard recalled this weekend. “Plenty of the crew have been very, very excited.”
Every year, two members of the crew are chosen to be honorary captains. The 2 from the Peleliu included one one that had attended Kansas State and one who had really performed soccer for ASU.
“He obtained damage and determined to hitch the Navy,” DuBard mentioned.
DuBard mentioned the tour offers significant moments for each soccer gamers and crew members.
He’ll always remember watching the Kansas State and ASU gamers as they approached the ship.
“We have been all the way in which on the finish of the pier, so that they needed to stroll a protracted option to get there,” DuBard mentioned. “I am on the elevator wanting down, ready for them to return aboard.
“I can see their faces and most of them have that deer-in-the-headlight look. The sheer dimension of the ship, in some circumstances, if you happen to’ve by no means been round it, it is a little bit overwhelming. So that they have been very, very excited.”
One other second that has stayed with him greater than 20 years later was watching big linemen making an attempt to squeeze inside a Marine tank.
“We had been performing some workups, so we nonetheless had some Marine gear on board,” DuBard mentioned. “There have been some linemen that have been making an attempt to crawl into the little driver’s gap to get in. These have been 300-pound guys. It was hilarious. Their teammates have been laughing. …”
“You will by no means get in there.”
“Sure, I’ll.”
DuBard mentioned, “we needed to make it particular for them to see what youngsters their very own age have been doing. These guys have been taking part in soccer, and these youngsters went within the Navy. They communicate the identical lingo. It was a superb expertise for each.”
The Louisville and USC gamers touring the Abraham Lincoln, which is stationed at NAS North Island, have been in a position to stroll on an plane provider that’s greater than 3 1/2 instances the size of a soccer subject.
The gamers additionally may study some historical past a couple of ship that has served in a few of the nation’s most necessary missions because it was launched 35 years in the past.
It was deployed 290 days, longer than any nuclear-powered plane provider in historical past, within the aftermath of the 9/11 terror assaults. The Abraham Lincoln broke its personal file in 2020 when it was deployed 295 days.
Sunday’s go to introduced again extra recollections for DuBard. A part of his profession spent aboard the Abraham Lincoln as ship navigator. He was intent on sitting once more in his chair on the bridge.
DuBard grew up in Texas, attended at Texas A&M and famous that “each male within the state of Texas is an enormous soccer fan.”
Not lengthy after he retired in 2007, DuBard was at an occasion the place he bumped right into a Vacation Bowl employees member.
“Subsequent factor you realize, I obtained an software, had an interview and 14 years later I am the president,” he mentioned. “I used to be with the Navy for 30 years, moved about each two years, so I by no means actually obtained concerned locally. So one of many issues after I retired is I needed to provide again to the group that had helped me.
“I take pleasure in soccer, they usually do plenty of issues locally. It is good.”
The volunteers who rise via the Vacation Bowl group to grow to be president are sometimes enterprise and civic leaders.
DuBard brings a completely totally different perspective to the place, nevertheless.
“He is an unbelievable chief,” Vacation Bowl govt director Mark Neville mentioned. “Together with his background and his profession, it shines via. The way in which he runs the board conferences and motivates. He is robust. Very robust.
“I’ve realized so much from him. We have been experiencing plenty of challenges. It is a totally different management type he has that is extremely efficient.
“I actually admire and respect his counsel.”
Current challenges have included recreation cancellations associated to the COVID-19 pandemic and growing issue discovering sponsors amid an financial downturn.
There’s additionally now star gamers opting out of video games to organize for the NFL Draft or enter the NCAA switch portal.
On the horizon, there’s an expanded playoff that might additional marginalize the bowl system.
Disaster administration was a day-to-day a part of DuBard’s life for many years, so his enter is welcomed and inspired.
DuBard mentioned he’s “pondering long-term technique. The place will we go from right here?”
He speaks excitedly about being a part of a gaggle whose members are well known for his or her bright-color coats.
“This pink jacket,” DuBard mentioned. “It is most likely the ugliest jacket on the planet, however I really feel one thing after I put this jacket on. It means one thing to me and plenty of the Redcoats.
“They completely take pleasure in doing this, and there is a sense of satisfaction placing this jacket on.”
This story initially appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.
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