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In this Issue: The future is now: why should Saint Mary's invest in athletics?
Dreaming big, living large: Patrick White to be president of Wabash College The magic of Linda Timm: ready to lead Mount Mary College Previous Issues:
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Summer
2006
Setting the record straight: record holders share lessons for success At Saint Mary's, they set records–running faster, scoring more baskets, stealing more bases–than any athletes before or since. They're still the best on the College books, but they've moved on to other pursuits. Today they teach, manage programs, raise kids, and serve their communities. All say that athletics taught them lessons for work and for life.
During
her career at Saint Mary's, Jenny Block Howard '90 was a nationally
ranked singles and doubles player. Since then she has never given
up her quest for a tennis championship. "Even at 38, my goal is to win a national title," Howard said. "I love to compete, to have a goal to work toward. Tennis is my passion, my outlet." Howard also coached a high school girls' team last fall, imparting to another generation the passion that kept the game so close to her heart. In college, tennis was Howard's source of inspiration, discipline, and friendship. Just as the game remains a part of her life, those personal qualities and relationships formed on the court have stayed with her, too. She and a group of former teammates recently reunited in Indianapolis, and the traits honed while competing at the college level have translated into her crowded personal and professional schedules. "I've got a sense of doubles," said the mother of five, including two sets of twins. A psychology major at Saint Mary's, Howard also has a sense of service to the community beyond the tennis court and her own backyard. She is a licensed social worker in Illinois, working weekends at the Loyola University Medical Center in crisis intervention and discharge planning. "To play tennis and fit everything else in, I've got to be organized and disciplined," Howard said. Each aspect of her life requires a commitment in time and dedication that reflects the balance she had to maintain as a student-athlete. That explains why, whether it's motherhood, work, or her backhand, Howard puts all of herself into it. "I
firmly believe that what you put into something is what you will
get out of it," Howard said, "whether
it's raising a family, being a successful social worker, or being
the best athlete you can be."
Refusing to lose
These days Davis teaches high school social studies in the Chicago public schools, a job she describes as a rewarding yet frustrating roller coaster. "Our world is much bigger than my students' neighborhoods, and my re-defined running event is making sure that they know they are great people. The obstacles I face now have nothing to do with starting blocks and the weight room, but student apathy." An all-state runner in high school, Davis imagined herself competing at a Division I school, but learned about Saint Mary's while researching colleges and universities in Indiana. "The admissions office made me feel like I was the only young lady they were recruiting," she remembers. "My choice to attend Saint Mary's was a no-brainer. After making a few trips to meet coaches at other universities, I knew that going to Saint Mary's was the best choice for me." Davis's trip to the national championship her junior year marked both a high and a low point for her. She feels she could have won the 100 meters, but tearing her hamstring that year proved to be too debilitating. Yet she placed in the top three nationally, and earned All-American status. "College was a great time for me in every aspect imaginable," says Davis, who majored in political science and earned a secondary education certificate. "My time at Saint Mary's has had a profound effect on my post-graduation life. I marvel at how I was able to get all of that in."
Practice doesn't make perfect
The quality of the preparation – not just the quantity – extends into the performance, she believes. Arena finished as Saint Mary's career leader in hits (339) and stolen bases (68), distinctions she still holds today. "I was very good at keeping my eye on the ball," Arena said. "It sounds so fundamental, yet it is so important to being a good hitter." Once
on base, she put her "hook slide" to use, a technique to make
it more difficult for the defender to tag her out (and a good way to
avoid collisions with catchers at home plate). Now the trauma program manager for a healthcare system, Arena applies the same attention to detail to ensuring that her company maintains the standards necessary to save lives. It's a big difference from the relatively trivial pursuit of hits and stolen bases, she says, but the principles remain the same on the field or off. "In softball, we were all working toward winning the game. In the working world, you strive to complete a task or achieve a certain goal," Arena said. "In either situation, you realize that you all have your strengths and weaknesses, and the best teams balance each other out and are able to complement each other in achieving the end goal." Her competitive side still comes out, now in the co-ed recreational softball team she plays on once a week. By Arena's own estimation, the philosophy of pursuing perfect practice still fits. Even recreation demands the pursuit of perfection. "It's so much fun, and yes, I still go to the batting cages," Arena said. "There is always room for improvement." |
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"Tennis
is my passion"
"Honestly,
I don't think I'd be the educator I am without my competitive history," says
Stacy Davis '99, who holds the Saint Mary's track and field record
in the 55-, 60-, 100-, and 200-meter races. "I
refuse to lose, and the symbol of losing for me in this arena is
an illiterate, ill-informed high school drop-out." 
"Practice
doesn't make perfect...Perfect practice makes perfect." Andrea
Arena '98 has applied this mantra from a softball coach to her life.