Dave McKinnis helps Levi Cetti of Butler in July 2004.

When I was I inducted into the Butler Sports Hall of Fame, I had to prepare an acceptance speech. My first thought was to offer special thanks to each person who helped me so much along the way. I started to make a list of names but I was unable to finish even after filling many pages.

I actually thought about standing in front of the audience, simply reading the list of names for 10 minutes, and then concluding with an acknowledgment to all those there was no time to mention.

The point is simple. I received the gift of athletics while growing up in the community of Butler. So many great people. When I spoke at my induction, I said to all, "Thank you for this honor, and I return it to you by welcoming all of you to my personal Hall of Fame. You've always been there."

I grew up in an exciting era of this ever changing community. My grandparents' generation still told stories of the farms, the oil wells, the railroads, the industry, the commerce, the First World War and the Depression.

But the younger generation was busy putting World War II and the Korean War behind it. People joined all the veterans coming back to build the promise of home and a community thriving with, among other things, sports.Tom Brokaw would later write a book about these people, calling them and his book, "The Greatest Generation."I was lucky. These were the people who raised me. They directed my mind toward learning from the best teachers among them. And they pushed me physically toward every kind of throwing and catching, kicking, jumping, running, swimming and competing they could offer. Every available moment. In the alleys. On the streets. At the playgrounds. At the sandlots and vacant lots. At the grass fields and the ball yards. And in the gyms.These people, all of them plus a very special few, took me from a two-room rural schoolhouse with hand-pumped water, a coal-fired furnace, and indoor outhouses, to Butler High and then to the University of Pittsburgh and three degrees.They even pushed me out into a bigger world for awhile, working in hospitals, universities, and even professional football. But finally, how could I do anything but come back home?

What did the teachers, coaches, and athletes of my Butler community teach me? Competition. They taught competition. At home. Among friends. Among equals. Among betters. They said compete hard. Learn everything you can. Learn the rules. Learn the limits. Learn the possibilities. Learn. Learn. Learn. Then go compete some more.They said expect to lose. Learn everything that losing means. That's what brings you face to face with what it takes to be a winner. That's how you learn what winning means.They said, when you finally learn those two sides of the same coin, you are ready to compete with learning itself.All your life you will be in the business of learning. It's tough competition. It's never easy.The Butler community that raised me was filled with proud people. Proud of Butler. Proud of home. Proud with the most positive kind of pride.The more things change, the more they stay the same. The proud ideals of community are still here in Butler today. If you are young and hungry to learn, look for the best teachers. Listen to them. Learn from them.Compete for knowledge. Compete for experience. And compete physically, too. Learn the skills that capture your imagination and make you think as well. Compete to learn.Don't expect it to be easy. It's never been easy. In today's world of technology and money, discord and uncertainty, and rapid change, you have to aspire to achievement. You have to be hungry to learn. And you have to find the simple things first. Simple things are best. They will last you a lifetime.The important rhythm of life for a community and its individuals is found in work, knowledge, civility, the aesthetic values of the arts, and yes, in athletics too. We're all athletes in one way or another. Don't miss that experience.I had the Butler athletic community's help all the way. So many good competitive athletic hearts and souls. And always the special few teachers and coaches. And, if you're lucky, like I was, the special one: the fiercest competitor, the biggest visionary, the most original light, the best teacher.All that's left to do is learn. That's your business.