Hi everyone,
 
My name is Donnie Rafter and I played volleyball at UCI from 1996 – 1999. Before I get into some of the impacts that UCI had on my life, I think it's necessary to lay down a little background about where UCI was as a program back when I played.   
 
Back in the late 90's, UCI was just emerging as a program and had only begun to show up on people's radar.  We weren't contending for national titles every season, but we were always looking for the upset and to prove that we belonged in the same gym as the perennial powerhouses.  I distinctly remember walking into gyms my freshman year, looking across at the other team and feeling slighted because they obviously didn't think much of us.  We hadn't earned the respect of other teams yet, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to me, but it was something I personally hated. 
 
The 1996 season, my first season at Irvine, was somewhat of an amusement park ride.  Not like the roller coaster that goes up and down and has the loops and such, but the kind that goes straight up and then straight down (think Supreme Scream at Knotts).  Our season peaked with a huge pre-season win over top-ranked Pepperdine then proceeded downhill as we lost a majority of the matches we played in the rest of the year.  There were battles and glimpses of what we could be, but our record was never something we could be proud of and saying "I played volleyball for UCI," never quite yielded the awe that we had hoped for.  That year, there were six freshmen on the 18-person roster and four of us traveled.  As that season went on and the loses piled up, it was hard, but we never stopped working.  I think it was clear and we were confident that brighter days were ahead.
 
The 1997 season saw a coaching change that led to quite a few shifts in how things were done within UCI volleyball.  The new coaching staff was able to draw on some local ties to bring in a new class and new level of recruits which is when the "upward trend" started taking shape within UCI volleyball.  Throughout the '97 and '98 seasons, there were some big upsets and some tough losses, but it was apparent that teams on the other side of the net were no longer overlooking us.  We hadn't quite "arrived," but we were close.
 
The 1999 season was the best season that UCI men's volleyball had seen in early program history.  We beat high-level teams like UCLA, Hawaii and Long Beach State and eventually climbed to seventh in the national rankings.  For the first time, we felt like the program had officially "arrived."  The work had paid off and the season culminated in the first playoff appearance in UCI program history and as a team. 
 
As I look back at the four years I was part of the UCI volleyball program, I'm proud of what our teams accomplished.  Yeah, we don't have a National Championship to show for it, but there's a great feeling of pride knowing that we overachieved and exceeded most people's expectations.  When we started out, UCI wasn't quite a destination for top tier recruits, but when we finished, Irvine had become a viable option for some of the best high school players in the country.
 
So now that I've had a chance to lay down some history, it's time to get to some "take-aways" from my time as a student athlete at UCI.  As a father, a husband, and a high school principal, here's the standout things I've learned:
 
Be humble – If you have to tell someone how "good" you are, you aren't that good.  I've rarely seen a good leader have to tell people how good they are. 
 
People matter – I look back at my time at Irvine, and can't remember a ton about which teams we beat and what our record was, but I remember my coaches, my teammates, and countless others who were part of the experience.  Rob Espero, Ramen (our trainer), Curtis (the equipment guy), and Bob Newcomb all come to mind.  None of these guys played a point for us but were a huge part of our success.  At the time, I don't think I appreciated them as much as I do now.
 
Protect your reputation – As an athlete (likely a very tall one) in a relatively small town, you are going to be more visible than most people.  Understand that your reputation follows you.  At some point, your volleyball career will be a thing of the past and you will want/need a job.  The reputation that you've developed can help or hurt your employment opportunities.  Personally, I've been extremely fortunate to have found some success in my career and there is no doubt in my mind that the reputation I cultivated through sports had a positive impact.  (Side note: keep dumb stuff off social media.  I've found every person I've interviewed on social media and there are countless people we haven't interviewed because of the content of their social media pages)
 
Say "Thank You" to the people who helped – I was lucky to have had some success at UCI and was able to publicly thank the people who helped make my experience memorable.  I cried like a baby in front of a crowd as I thanked my teammates, my coaches and my parents.  I hesitate to start naming names because I'm sure I'll leave someone out, but to this day, I tear up when I think back on how fortunate I was to have Travis, Charlie, Mike, and Curtis in my "volleyball life."
 
Don't expect your kids to want to play volleyball (or any other sport for that matter) – I have two boys.  Neither could give a rip about volleyball… yet. 
 
Thank you,
 
Donnie Rafter
Principal, Beckman High School
UC Irvine Men's Volleyball (Class of 1999)
 
 
Post Script, by Travis Turner
 
In the mid-to-late 1990s I had the good fortune of coaching men's volleyball at UC Irvine. Before that, I coached the boys team at Tustin High School. Both of those experiences included coaching Donnie Rafter. Because of Donnie, those will always be two of my most memorable coaching stints.  Kind, sincere, genuine, caring and easygoing are words most of us would use when describing Donnie.  He consistently put others needs ahead of his own. He was liked by all his teammates and coaches. On the court, he was relentless. He was known for his ability to tool the block and score regardless of set location or situation. And he did that at only 6 feet tall. Most impressive though was his ability to control the ball. His passing prowess is what allowed him to succeed at a high level. He has to be considered one of the best passers ever to play at UC Irvine. 
 
We will always remember him as much more than just a "mediocre recreation player" from Tustin that went on to become an All-American. 
 
Travis Turner
Assistant Coach, UC Irvine Men's Volleyball (1996-2000)

**Rafter was named All-American in 1999 and was inducted into the UCI Hall of Fame in 2007. He was also a member of the U.S. World University Games Team (last photo with fellow Anteater Mike Rupp, who is third from right)