TAGD IX

For information on TAGD or to make a gift, click HERE.

TigerBlog mentioned yesterday that the men's basketball team won a pair of games at the London Classic last week.

In addition to the on-court success, the event spoke volumes to something else about Princeton Athletics. You can see for yourself:

Thank you to all the Princetonians, Friends and Tiger fans - both from the states and England - that joined us yesterday for pre-game festivities before cheering on @PrincetonMBB in the London Basketball Classic. pic.twitter.com/M5wMtOC66T

— PrincetonVarsityClub (@PVCTIGERS) November 25, 2022

Wherever Princeton goes to play, in whatever sport it is, there are always Tigers there. Whether they travel or live there, whether they played for Princeton or are just fans, whether they are Tiger parents or Tiger alums, they are always there.

TigerBlog has never seen an institution that generates the love and loyalty the way Princeton does. From his viewpoint, that applies even more so to Princeton Athletics.

Today is the ninth Tiger Athletics Give Day — TAGD, as former Friends' Group coordinator Diana Dreyfuss named it in 2014. Back then, it began as a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first Princeton Athletic event, a baseball game in 1864 between Princeton and Williams.  

TAGD has grown into a stunning show of Princeton loyalty and support. A year ago, Princeton had 6,624 donors who contributed an extraordinary $3,741,823, raising the all-time total to just short of $20 million. 

Maybe stunning isn't the right word. Stunning, after all, would suggest that this was unforeseen. As TB said, the loyalty and support that exists should never be stunning.

That loyalty, by the way, was probably most on display during the pandemic, when TAGD endured and even thrived, something that said "hey, even when there are no games to be played, there is still a Princeton Athletics and that is something that is still hugely important."

This support is not to be taken for granted, ever. 

TAGD is a day of fun for everyone involved, especially the coaches and the athletes. It's a social media festival, and there have been some really, really creative posts that have been produced by the teams through the years.

These are seriously competitive people, of course. They don't want to lose at anything, whether that's against the outside opponents who make up the schedules or, in this case, against their intramural Tiger rivals.

More than anything else, though, TigerBlog has always seen TAGD as something a bit deeper. To him, this is more of an investment, in the young people who represent Princeton now.

It's an investment in their experience. It's an investment in Education Through Athletics, and all of the benefits that come from that philosophy.

Because of the generous support, Princeton Athletics is able to provide the best possible experience. Because of that, the lessons that are learned through intercollegiate competition are taught. Because of that, a set of values that last a lifetime are reinforced.

With that background, Princeton's athletes then head out into the world to do their best, in their communities and globally. Every step of the way, they are reminded of what their experience as Tigers meant to their own personal growth and development. In fact, what they learned becomes more acute as time goes on.

That is why there is such loyalty in the first place. The ones who will be donating today lived this experience themselves and have seen the enormous benefits it has brought.

And so have fun today on TAGD. And thank you again for all that you do. 

This experience wouldn't be what it is without you.