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Summer
2006
Athletics at Saint Mary's? When I entered the College in the fall of 1962, even asking the question would have been folly. I never saw a classmate put on "sneakers" and go for a run. Usually, I was the only person "shooting hoops" on the basketball courts. Our tennis courts had some use, but women were not allowed to play the Notre Dame golf course. Ten years after I graduated from Saint Mary's, Title IX changed the landscape for girls and women and for schools at all levels. Suddenly, women were allowed–even encouraged–to be athletic, to be competitive, and health conscious, but we also were reminded that we were women and we don't sweat, we "glisten." Look anywhere now and you will see women jogging, training for and running in 5k and 10k races, and marathons. The changing landscape means that my daughter–and her daughters–do not have to face the ridicule or rejection of being called a "tomboy." It means that some young women who would have been denied an opportunity to attend college in their youth are able to parlay their athleticism into college scholarships. More crucially, the opening of the athletic arena to women means that women can experience the joy and benefits of athletic participation.
Few women make a career in athletics, but athletics has changed many women's lives. Several years ago, I was refereeing a basketball game involving two local elementary schools. As I met the coaches before the game, I noticed that each was wearing a Saint Mary's ring. I commented that I had left my own ring at home because I never wear it when I referee. They asked if I had played in high school or at Saint Mary's, as they had. I laughed and said, "No, I was born a generation too soon!" The game was intense; the coaches coached with an obvious passion for their players and what they were doing, and as the final buzzer sounded, we shook hands and agreed that the old Saint Mary's might reel, but we were a group of proud SMC women that day. Is there a place for athletics at Saint Mary's? Look at the healthy minds that athletics fosters. Look at the love of the game. Look at belonging to an elite group of women. Look at the thrill of participating. Look at the future: these young women will be the mothers of more future athletes. Athletics proves to be some of the best investments a school can provide for its undergraduates. Even the most casual observer would have to join me in answering the question "Athletics at Saint Mary's?" with a resounding absolutely. In my day we used to sing a song that went, "Hail Saint Mary's, dear Saint Mary's, oh we love you, yes we do ..." It sounds even better when you finish with "Go Belles!" Tulchinksy is athletics director for the South Bend Community School Corporation. |
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Viewpoint:
Athletics at Saint Mary's?
These
joys and benefits are diverse. Recent findings suggest female college
athletes are less prone to early onset of heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Other findings indicate that female athletes typically grow
up to be self-assured adults, more so than their non-athletic
counterparts. Female athletes develop leadership skills, the capacity
to make split-second decisions, and the capabilities of dealing
with "the
joy of victory and the agony of defeat" inherent in
all aspects of life.