Celebrating Black Excellence: Burton Brings Spirit to All She Does
A coach for 15 years, she's seen and pushed for positive changes on campus
Mike Brohard
When somebody has been employed at the same place for 15 years, the assumption is they are extremely happy with where they are at, and to a degree, there is an underlying truth.
That doesn’t mean they are always happy, or the job is perfect. Dawn Burton is proof.
When she met with Gary Ozzello and Ben Lorenzen – both representatives of the Colorado State athletic department back in 2005 – in a hotel lobby in Albuquerque, N.M., during a football weekend, Burton wasn’t actively looking for a job. She was happy with her role with Universal Cheerleaders Association, but also intrigued with the possibility of running a collegiate spirit program.
Immediately, Ozzello was sold.
“First of all, I think with Dawn, you can see she’s genuine and authentic,” said the former director of sports information and a pillar of the athletic department for decades. “When I first met her in the lobby of the hotel in Albuquerque, Dawn wanted to do what she’s doing. It wasn’t that she wanted to do it because it led to the next step, and that was very apparent from the first time we ever spoke. This is her passion. She wanted to do it, and she wanted to do it at Colorado State.”
Instantly, she became the only Black head coach of a spirit program in the Mountain West, and that hasn’t changed 15 years later. When the former Air Force brat who cheered at New Mexico State moved to Fort Collins, it was the most predominately white area she had ever lived.
There were challenges, some of which were real, some she perceived, because sometimes, she just didn’t know. Even to this say, those feelings creep up again.
“One of the challenges I still have -- and I still think it to this day if I’m not included or not invited -- I have to sit back and ask, is it because I’m the coach of a sport which isn't always perceived as a sport, is it because I’m a female or because I’m Black or all three of them? Before, those were in my head every single day. Now, not as much. But I do have those moments.”
Her immediate challenge was the team she inherited and earning their acceptance. That took time. As the years passed, she was able to put her stamp on the program and find the ideal representatives for Colorado State.
Burton is very confident, and she’s quite personable. Her cheerleaders and Golden Poms are to be a reflection of her and strong representatives of the university and athletic department. That’s on the court, where most people see her teams perform, but also in the community, where they are active with local programs, including the Junior Rams Cheerleaders.
She can’t recruit, but as a judge at state and national competitions, she will get the Colorado State name out there. What she looks for in a spirit member is someone who is passionate about representing not just the squad, but the university as a whole.
She believes her role it to make it a memorable experience for them all.
“Everything I do here at CSU is for my student-athletes in my program, that’s what has kept me going,” Burton said. “Through all of the challenges and changes, I want the most inclusive, memorable experience for them all. And if I can make that happen and help at least one student graduate here a better person and having experienced moments that they will hold onto for years to come, then I’ve done my job. I believe every person who goes through the CSU athletic umbrella is going to walk away with one of two experiences – one, a memorable experience, or two, a troubling experience. I ask myself – which one is it going to be?”
Hey, 15 years later, something has to be right. I’m glad because it has pushed me to be better in a lot of different areas.Dawn Burton
And that’s who she wants to be within the athletic department.
Yes, she’s happy here, but there have been moments over the years where she was wondering how much longer she should stay, and at one particular junction, a conversation with CSU Chaplin Johnny Square gave her some reflection.
“It was tough, and at one point I sat down with Johnny Square, and I was like, ‘I’m done, this is my last year. I don’t need to deal with it, and I’m not comfortable,’” she said. “We had this very good conversation. He said, ‘Dawn, you’re here for a reason and to change something, so just do it. So I just did it. I jumped in, and thank God I had Mark Driscoll and Gary Ozzello, because they were in my corner.”
Burton knows no place is perfect, but what keeps her motivated is the changes she’s seen at Colorado State. She’s worked with multiple athletic directors and has seen a number of administration changes, but she said the place always finds a way to revitalize her.
Ozzello said that has always been a two-way street.
“There’s no doubt she’d been a great representative for Colorado State, and especially the department of athletics,” he said. “When you look at what she’s done in 15 years, it would be hard to imagine anyone else could do that. It’s hard to imagine other spirit coaches who have been in that position for 15 years. I think the conversations we always had were, ‘hang in there.’ Let’s keep moving forward and doing the right things, and we’ll get through this together.
“I think her perspective and her compassion for others stands out. When you look at it, coaches are teachers. Coaches like Dawn and any other coach in athletics, influence and impact the lives of young people. They help shape young people for their futures, and that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
What Burton has seen recently have been the most promising steps for her. In addition, she is taking a more active role to help change take place.
Where she is now is not the same place as it was 15 years ago. The leader she is now is not the same person, either.
“I like the evolution and the change within the department. Recently, I do like the changes that we’re making internally to be better, particularly with diversity and inclusion and taking that stance,” she said. “I will say honestly, recently, I’m excited to see where that’s going to go. Every couple of years there’s something that ropes me back in and keeps me going, makes me excited.”
Some of it has to do with the spirit teams themselves. She normally has a head coach for the Golden Poms, as she admits the choreography is not her strong suit. Her background is cheer, but overseeing both programs requires a balance she has found.
Cheerleading is not the same. It is more physically demanding and even more controversial, she said. Those changes carry a certain amount of charge to the resets. For herself and those she mentors.
“Hey, 15 years later, something has to be right,” she said with a laugh. “I’m glad because it has pushed me to be better in a lot of different areas.”
In those years, she’s learned to push back. And forward, when needed. It had made the big picture a wonderful experience, even with a few out-of-focus frames.