Notre Dame on behalf of Christiane and Yvon Lecavalier

In 1989 we decided to send our oldest son Philippe to Notre Dame at age fourteen. It was one of the best, but also painful decisions we’ve ever made. We knew if it worked out our youngest son Vincent would follow in a few years, and of course he did. As Notre Dame Hounds both our sons were constantly challenged to succeed academically, athletically, and in their relationships with
teachers, coaches and peers. They learned discipline, developed their work ethic and learned to manage their time and their stress levels, all of which led to developing a greater sense of responsibility.

Living in the Notre Dame family helped develop our sons’ sense of community, and further developed the cherished values we’d always taught them like honesty, compassion, fidelity to friends, generosity and modesty. There were always many gifted athletes at Notre Dame, but we soon realized that every student was treated fairly and equally regardless of their background or level of skill.
They were rewarded just as much for their work ethic and dedication to the team as for their talent. 

An NHL hockey career is not always as glamorous as it may be perceived. There are many ups and downs and stressful situations which require a high level of maturity for the professional athlete to face and survive, and Notre Dame prepared Vincent well for that. If not for Notre Dame, we often wonder what path he would have taken, and most importantly what type of man he would have become. Notre Dame helped us lead our son’s future in the right direction. We are forever thankful for Notre Dame’s grand role in assisting us as parents guide both our sons in the successful
lives they have today.

Thank you Notre Dame!

Christiane and Yvon Lecavalier
Montreal Quebec
Proud Parents of Hounds Vincent and Philippe Lecavalier

VOLUME 3 NOTRE DAME EXPERIENCE (page 9)