Community Service Award – Bob Braman

Since our Community Service Award recipient isn’t here tonight and the winner will become quite obvious once I say another sentence or two, I am going to go ahead and announce the winner without the usual build up. The winner is FSU Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach, Bob Braman.

Bob has been coaching at FSU since 2000. Since taking over the program, the entire running program has reached a level of excellence never before seen at FSU. Before his arrival, the teams had some stellar individuals but very little team success. Now the team is a perennial power in both indoor and outdoor track and field, finishing in the top four in 8 of the last 10 years including two, really three, national championships in outdoor track and field. These are the only two championships in the school’s history. A 2nd place finish at the national meet by the men during the 2010 XC season was the best ever by an FSU team, a team in Florida, or even a team in the ACC. He also lead the women to their first ever appearance at the NCAA National Cross Country Championships in 2002. All of this team success has helped to make FSU and Tallahassee a focal point of running to others around the country.

Not only has he brought prestige to our area, but his teams are frequently volunteering at local events. You have seen them at races. They have become a springtime fixture at the Boys and Girls Club where many of the athletes come out to put on a clinic. They have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the United Way with their Across the State Relay, done annually during the early part of the cross country season.  Bob has also brought his enthusiasm to the construction of the Apalachee Regional Park “Cross Country Playground,” an incredible venue for hosting cross country events that is second to none in the Southeastern United States. He and his team have put in countless hours developing and maintaining the facility to give not only our local teams a venue for hosting events, but hopefully one day, national championship events as well.

Our community is a better place for having someone like Coach Bob Braman involved with it.