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Spotlight on Former Athlete: Dawn Broussard, Track & Field 1985-89Basketball’s loss was track’s gain with Broussard
Bruce Brown
Written for The Athletic Network
Bruce Brown lagolden83@aol.com March 21, 2012
Dawn Broussard may make a habit of attending reunions for UL Ragin’ Cajun track and field athletes.
The former sprinter from Kaplan, who ran at UL from 1985-89, found much to enjoy at this year’s gathering held in conjunction with the Louisiana Classics meet.
“It was great,” said Broussard, who coaches at Gueydan High School. “This was my second reunion. Last year was my first time. There were maybe 20 athletes from my era. This year was a big year for the 80’s.
“I also went to the track meet this year. One of my teammates, Kim Hall, begged me to go. I enjoyed it.”
Naturally, thoughts turned to college days, and of being coached by Dick Boothe, Randy Stephens and Dean Johnson. “We got to re-live what we did in college,” Broussard said. “We talked about how hard practice was, about doing stadium steps and at night not going to dinner because we were so tired. “High school kids today can’t do what we did.” Broussard has kept in touch with teammates like Greg Walker, Robert Sippio, Charles Derousselle, Hollis Conway, Neal Guidry, John Lee, Ruel Paul, Jason Williams and Tommy Badon, and especially enjoyed the chance to visit with some of them again. Broussard arrived at UL (then USL) in 1984 as a multi-sport standout in high school. In fact, track was not her ticket to higher education.
“When I first went, I was on a basketball scholarship,” Broussard said. “I was quick and I could run and jump. But I wasn’t comfortable dribbling the ball.
The following year, they added women’s track because of Title IX, and I switched to that. Track came more natural to me. “I had started basketball in 9th grade because I preferred team sports. I guess it was a toss-up between the two in high school. When I got to college from Kaplan and was playing basketball, I used to cry. I was afraid. But my roommates and teammates made it better. The fright and scare went away.” Broussard, who first learned to appreciate running when she found she was “faster than the boys,” enjoyed a confidence in track and field that she didn’t feel in basketball. And, as a member of a new group of Ragin’ Cajun athletes, she helped women’s track get a fast start out of the blocks. Her best times at UL were 11.67 in the 100-meter dash, 23.4 in the 200 – her preferred race – and 19-3 in the long jump in addition to being a key relay member. “I remember being at a meet and having Loren Seagraves tell me I was doing good in the 200,” Broussard said. “That meant a lot to me.” Broussard credits God-given ability for much of her success, with determination furnished by her parents to get the most out of that ability. “My parents believed in education,” Broussard said. “They saw I had talent, and said that’s how I could get a scholarship to go to college. I did well in school. There was never any question I was going to college.”
Once she finished competing, Broussard moved naturally into coaching back home in Vermilion Parish – first at Kaplan for two years, then at Gueydan. “It was different being back at Kaplan as an adult,” she said. “I was on the same staff with teachers who had taught me, and I got to work with them instead of them being my teachers. And the principal, Laura LeBouef, and I graduated together in 1984.”
The ex-Cajun standout has learned while instructing others. “When I first started teaching, it was easy because I was coming off competition and I would practice with them,” Broussard said. “Then I got older and softer in my approach. I wasn’t as aggressive. Now I’m starting to see the children of the first group I coached, and they (the first group) ask me, ‘Why did you loosen up?’ It’s a different era. “Kids have a lot of distractions today. Also, when I first got to Gueydan, we didn’t have softball or baseball in the spring. And, we don’t have a lot of athletes. Kids will choose softball. Track is hard.” Through the years, Broussard has also maintained contact with basketball. “We have grades 6-12 here on the same campus, and I’ve enjoyed working with junior high basketball, to get them ready. I like the teaching part of it.” Click here to view Dawn coming out of the blocks in 1988.
Click here to view Dawn at the 2012 Track & Field Reunion. L-R: Stacy Fisher Brown, Dawn Broussard, Kimberly Ja’nelle Hall Francois – pioneers in track & field and members of the first women’s track and field program. Click here to view the Track & Field Photo Gallery, then click on the year of your interest. The reunions are listed below the years and include photos from the 2012 reunion. Our rich athletic traditions were entrusted to the vision, hope, loyalty, and dedication of those former athletes and we will forever owe them a debt of sincere gratitude. May God bless each of them and their families. Anyone with information, materials, pictures, memorabilia, etc., of the university’s former athletic program participants is requested to contact Ed Dugas at athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu Thank you.The Photo Gallery Link located on the left side of the home page at www.athleticnetwork.net contains over 10,000 pictures of former and current athletes and support groups. Just click on photo gallery and when the menu appears, click on the sport or support group you wish to view. The years of pictures posted for that team or group will appear and you may click on the year you wish to view. One click on a thumbnail picture or narrative and it is enlarged; a click on the enlarged photo and it reverts back to the thumbnail. The Athletic Network seeks to post pictures of each team and support group for each year they represented the university. The stories of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 honorees featured in the Spotlight on Former Athletes are still included in the News Page and may be viewed by clicking on "more news" at the bottom right of the News Box, scrolling down, clicking on the title of the story. Those spotlight features which are no longer shown in the News Page, have been moved to the Lagniappe Link of the "History of UL Athletics" located on the left side of the home page. The Spotlight on Former Athletes announcement has also been placed in the profile of each honoree, excluding the pictures. 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
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