The Ladder Ceremony

When I arrived in Provo in the fall of 2009, one of the first things that caught my eye about the indoor track in the Smith Field House was the top-ten board. I immediately made it my goal to get onto that board during my collegiate career so that I could be numbered among the greats.

Seven months later,  I was able to make the climb up to the No. 4 spot in the 800m, and then a month later up to No. 2. In the ensuing seasons, I climbed the ladder a few more times as I broke the school record in the indoor 800m and as a member of the school record holding distance medley relay team.

The ladder ceremony probably looks like a silly tradition to those on the outside. The coach talks about the person who is getting bumped off the top-ten board as if they are now dead. Then he or she says, "I give you Alyssa Monteverde," or whoever it may be that is now joining the ranks of the top-ten board. The team chants, "Ladder, ladder, ladder..." while the athlete climbs to the top. They reach for a piece of tape covering up their name, rip it off, and the team bursts into cheers. Then, in unison, the entire team yells, "Speech!" The athlete proceeds to thank teammates, coaches, trainers, etc. and talk about what it means for them to be on this hallowed list of athletes and the journey it took for them to get there. But for those who have the opportunity to climb that ladder, they know there aren't very many more rewarding feelings.

Hearing about the person who gets bumped off helps you to appreciate all of the work it takes to get onto the top-ten board. The coaches share stories of their best races, how hard they worked, what a leader they were, and what a great person they were. To hear that about the person you are bumping off makes you and the team realize that how hard you work, what kind of person you are, and how hard you compete will be remembered by those associated with the program, and it makes you want to be a little better and work a little harder.

Then there is something very cool about ripping that tape off and seeing your name next to the likes of Frank Fredericks, Ed Eyestone, Doug Padilla, Miles Batty, Tiffany Lott, Julie Jenkins, and Nachelle Mackie. Olympians, world record holders, NCAA championships, NCAA record holders and hundreds of All-American awards are represented on that board. To know that you are now listed among them makes you feel big and small at the same time.

The speech that is given on that ladder may seem routine, as if it was written by the coaches or the sports information department, but I promise you, it is sincere. I couldn't express enough how grateful I was for teammates, family, coaches, trainers, and the athletic department for pushing me in workouts and races, giving me the opportunity to travel around the country and pursue goals and dreams, making sure that I stayed healthy, and cheering me on every step of the way. The speech only lasts for a minute or so, but I'm sure each person who climbs that ladder could go on for an hour telling stories of what it took to get there and giving thanks to everyone who supported them.

This is all from the perspective of those climbing the ladder. But it is also very inspiring and motivating to be a spectator of the ladder ceremony. Watching your teammates go rip that piece of tape off of their name makes you want to do it too. And not just get to that tenth position, but get high up on the board, into that No. 1, 2, or 3 spot.

You could ask anyone on the BYU team their goals and they would likely tell you that one of them is to one day climb that ladder. Why? Because climbing the ladder is more than just ripping a piece of tape off of your name and giving a speech. It is the culmination of setting goals, hours of work, battling through injuries, balancing training, homework, and a social life, and finally reaching a goal.

The video below will give you a glimpse into the ladder ceremony. This is after Chase Dalton moved into a tie for No. 2 all-time at BYU in the indoor heptathlon. This past weekend at Air Force, Dalton was within eight points of the school record. He will be celebrated again today with another ladder ceremony.