University of Dayton student Victoria Suther from Kettering, Ohio is a senior preparing to graduate May, 2012 with a degree in Sociology. She said the UD Flyers are a team she admires because of the memories they’ve given her since she was a child. Suther said her father, Ken Suther has been taking her to games at UD Arena since she was a baby, and now at the age of 22, Victoria said, though most of her memories run together, a few stand out as if they occurred yesterday.
(Below is an interview with Victoria about her Flyer flashbacks).
What do you remember about first becoming a UD Flyer fan?
I’ve always said that I was born a UD fan and that red and blue runs through my veins. I have been going to the men’s basketball games since I was in the womb. My dad Ken just loves basketball. He started going to the games about 30 years ago and was hooked. He’s had season tickets for about 26 years now and took me to almost every single home game since the time I was born. When I was 3 or 4 years old and the games were on TV, I would sit as close as I could and announce the starting lineup like I was an announcer – well before the broadcasters even announced it. That was when my mom knew I were addicted.
I remember my dad telling me that if I was sick or too tired, that was too bad because we were never going to leave a game early – even if we were up or down by 100 points! He keeps score to every game and that would mess up his book. I knew he was just kidding, but was serious at the same time. He was lucky I never wanted to leave early anyway.
Another thing I remeber is that the Xavier game would always be on late at night. If the game started too late on a school night, my mom would not let me go. I would cry and say how unfair is was that my dad got to go and I didn’t. Eventually, my mom just let me go to all of the games no matter how late they started because it was not worth the battle! I also have one older and one younger sister, and we only have two available tickets per-game. As you can probably imagine, there were a few fights over who got to go and who got to sit in which seat. Since I always wanted to go and my other sisters were not as into it as I was, my dad would buy them an extra ticket. I still sit in the exact same seat to this day up in section 304.
You talked about UD Arena above. What stands out in your memories?
I have wonderul memories at and about UD Arena. From the smell of the mini donuts they use to sell when I was little, to the the honey roasted pecans they have now, to the fans and the many free item-offerings before games – I remember it all. My dad and I would get to every home game an hour early and walk laps around the arena. After several years of walking laps, we made many friends and would always wave to or stop and talk to them.
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As I got older, talking to the many people I call my “UD family” has become something I look forward to at every game. I have always loved Mignight Madness with the slam dunk contest and autograph sessions. Right after that, is the Red & Blue game, where the players scrimmage each other and it is basically an open pratice. I would get autographs at that too.
If there was ever a chance to get autographs, I was and still am excited. I have to keep my collection from over the years going. These days, I get just as excited about anything UD as I did when I was younger.
Another thing is that I still remember the names and numbers to almost all of the players since I was young. While remodeling UD Arena, they hung older players photographs around it. My dad was amazed I could name all of the players just by looking at their faces and seeing their jersey number. I think that is a pretty neat ability I’ve had since I was a child because it shows how big of a fan I was when I was so young.
As you said above, you have distinct memories of players throughout the years. Who is your all-time favorite player and why?
Victoria with Brian Roberts
Picking an all-time favorite players is so hard, it is not even funny. But, I would have to say Brian Roberts. First of all, he was a guard and that has always been my favorite position. He was so smooth and selfless on the court. He was a great leader and it was clear that he came to play hard at every game. I feel like he made big plays often, and he always had a great attitude.
Brian knew me by name when he was playing at UD, and he still knows who I am today. I had only met him a few times at autograph sessions and at other UD events, but it was clear that he really loved and appreciated his fans.
One time at a game, I was at UD Arena early for the game and the players were just shooting around on the court. The staff at UD Arena handed out free trading cards of the players and I really wanted Brian to sign my card. I went down to the first row and ran into a few kids who watched UD play on TV a lot, but this was their first time being at a UD game. The little kids loved Brian Roberts and they wanted to get his autograph too, but were scared to ask him. I told them that Brian was so nice and that if he was allowed to sign their cards he would. So, I called Brian over and he came over right away. He made those little kids day by signing their player cards. He was joking around with me, saying “Let me guess Vic, you want me to sign yours too! I know you!” It is little things like that, that set Brian apart from the rest of the players in my mind.
Ryan Perryman (Copyright University of Dayton)
What about players that graduated before Brian Roberts came to UD? Talk about your memory with 1998 graduate, Ryan Perryman.
This meant the world to me. I don’t remember many specific details, but the overall memory means so much to me. I was in third grade at Beavertown Elementry in Kettering and I always wore UD T-shirts to school. For class assignments, I always wrote about basketball games, drew pictures of me at UD Arena and just talk about the games nonstop.
In the middle of the year, my class had a student teacher from UD. I remember asking her questions about the school and if she liked the basketball team or knew any of the players. One day, she told me that she knew Ryan Perryman and I was just shocked. Apparently, she asked our teacher Mr. Smith if he could come in and talk to the class. The next thing I knew, he was in my classroom. I had this really sweet baby blue and red UD basketball with me at school and he signed it really big, right in the middle. That was the greatest thing that had ever happen to me back then, and that’s why it is such a great memory now.
The 1996 graduate Andy Meyer was one of your all-time favorite players in your early career of “fanhood.” Talk about this.
Before every season starts, I have always just picked a favorite player. I think I was 6 or 7 years old at the time when I decided I was going to root for Andy Meyer to play well and label him my favorite. My mom thought it would be nice to make me a T-shirt that said “I heart Andy,” and I wore it all the time.
- Andy Meyers (copyright Victoria Suther)
One game, I had a chance to get his autograph, and I remember I was so shy so my dad had to ask him to sign my program. I was right there when he signed it, and on his biography page he wrote, “To Victoria, from your friend Andy Meyer.” This autograph is one of my all-time favorite’s.
Andy Meyer was playing basketball at UD while I was going to a daycare center. One of my teachers was a student at UD and she was a photo journalist who took pictures at the games. She gave me three really good black and white photographs of him that she took. Those are still one of the greatest assests in my UD basketball collection.
You’ve supported many players throughout the years and have seen them begin and end their career as a Dayton Flyer. What message would you like to give to every former player?
I would like to say to all of the players – past and present – “Thank you for choosing to play at UD. Thank you for going to practice every day and for playing your hearts out at every game. Just remember: you are someone’s favorite player. Many young people watch your every move and can’t wait to be in the position you are or were in as a player.”
“I would also like to ask you to please stay in touch with your fans and the University of Dayton. Years after you move on after graduation, fans like myself are still writing and thinking about the great memories we have with you.”
(Thank you, Victoria Suther, for your time).
Photo copyright: Victoria Suther (2009 Red and Blue game, photo with Brian Roberts, black & white photo of Andy Meyers)
Photo copyright: University of Dayton (Ryan Perryman)
A few months ago, 2011 UD Women’s basketball player Kristin Daugherty wrote an article for Dayton Magazine about a young female fan who attended the Women’s games at UD Arena. Daugherty talked about the excitement she felt to play, thanks to the little girl’s support, and according to her, the little girl motivated her, expressing how she looked forward to seeing her in the stands at the home games.
THE FLYER REEL 