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On a cold, crisp October morning 5 a.m., while most of us are turning over in our
beds, Adriana Gamba is rowing portside in the brand new, state-of-the-art Lesley
College shell, the "Polly V." Adriana, a member of the class of 1999, is a
second-year rower on the Lesley junior varsity crew team, preparing for the
team's third appearance in the world's most famous regatta,
the Head of the
Charles. The race draws hundreds of crew teams and individual competitors from
around the globe and attracts scores of spectators to Cambridge's Charles River.
Unfortunately, for the first time in its thirty-two-year history, the Head of the Charles Regatta was canceled due to severe weather and the Lesley crew team was unable to compete. Despite her disappointment, Adriana's spirits were buoyed by "the way the Lesley community was pulling for us" at a lively pep rally presided over by the school mascot, the Lesley Lynx. The highlight of the rally, held during the Women's College annual Family and Friends Weekend, was a symbolic christening of the Polly V.
Through the generosity of Paula Vandernoot '67, her family and friends, Lesley was able to purchase the Polly V. this past summer. The new shell is actually the team's first. For the first three years of its existence, the crew team relied upon the resourcefulness of its coaches and the goodwill of other colleges for borrowed or rented equipment. One team member put it this way, "The first time we went to a regatta in the new shell, everybody was impressed."
Lesley has come a long way since 1969, when its athletics program consisted of "walks around campus," according to Lesley Trustee Deborah Schwartz Raizes '69. In 1995 Lesley became a member of the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), competing with other New England colleges in cross-country, crew, soccer, softball and tennis. "Membership in the NCAA lends seriousness and legitimacy to our athletics programs. With more frequency, prospective students are asking if we have intercollegiate competition. Our ability to say 'yes' to these students helps the recruitment process," says Athletics Director Paula O 'Gilvie.
Lesley has come a long way since 1969, when its athletics program consisted of "walks around campus."
This year is the inaugural season of Lesley basketball. O'Gilvie, who is in her third year leading the athletic department, also serves as basketball coach. "It's amazing to see students move from ignorance about a sport to complete involvement," she says. Adriana Gamba is an example and role model to students who think that they could never participate and excel in sports. "I never participated in high school sports. I was a cheerleader; but when I came to Lesley, I was encouraged to try. I was impressed that I was accepted to the team, even though I'd had no experience. The coaches work hard to help students learn."
The excitement generated by the prospect of a basketball team is contagious. It has sparked the initiation of a student spirit club, whose membership consists of 15 enthusiastic and supportive students. These "cheerleaders" perform and encourage the basketball team at all home games and publicize athletic events and game results within the Lesley community. According to sports psychologist Linda Bunker, sports give women the confidence to try new things. "They develop an overall sense of their ability to handle unknown situations." Not only was Adriana a first time rower when she enrolled at Lesley, but she scored her first points on the basketball court during Lesley's recent win, 54-25, over Lasell College. Paula O'Gilvie has adopted the "Partnership Model of Sports" developed by athlete Mariah Burton Nelson, the author of "Are We Winning Yet? How Women are Changing Sports and Sports are Changing Women."
In this model, teammates, coaches
and even opposing players are encouraged to consider each other as partners in a
common endeavor, rather than enemies. Players with varying ability levels are
respected as peers, not ranked in a hierarchy, and athletes are discouraged from
sacrificing their own health and safety or anyone else's for the sake of winning.
But in respecting all ability levels, says Nelson, players should not settle for
undistinguished performance. "If you don't practice, [or] slide into base for
fear of hurting the first base player, [or] lunge after the ball," she cautions,
"...the excitement and skill can be drained from the game. Players are deprived
of the rich experience of playing the best they can -- as hard as they
can."O'Gilvie, who serves as teacher, coach and motivator, says, "Winning is great, but it's not the only thing." She never loses sight that she is training and supporting student-athletes who will gain lifelong skills and benefits from participating in sports. Marilyn Borges '96, 1996 Athlete of the Year and co-captain of the 1995-96 softball team agrees. "Far more important than winning is the importance of team work." Marilyn believes that her ability to be a successful "team player" at her job was developed on the softball field. As a commuter student, athletics afforded Marilyn the opportunity to get involved and "find a place in the Lesley community and develop friendships." It also started her on a serious commitment to exercise and health.
Studies have shown that participation in sports and fitness programs confer not only health benefits, but also academic benefits as well. Exercise has been demonstrated to increase cardiovascular endurance and strength, and decrease the risk of heart attacks, strokes, back problems and osteoporosis. In addition, a recent study shows that women who exercise regularly, beginning in their youth, can significantly reduce their risk of breast cancer.
Research conducted with high school girls found that those who participated in sports had higher grades than non-athletes, were better managers of their time, and were more likely to aspire to hold positions of leadership in their communities. The Women's Sports Foundation reports that women who have played college sports rate themselves higher in their abilities to set objectives, lead a group, motivate others, share credit, and feel comfortable in a competitive environment. Sports offer yet another avenue of opportunities for women to define and develop their leadership skills.
Roxana Canales, Class of 2000, came to Lesley from San Antonio, Texas, as an
experienced tennis competitor. "I came from a high school with 3,000 students
where everybody plays tennis. Roxana began playing tennis on her middle school
team and faced increasing competition and pressure to win as she moved on to her
high school team. She thought that she would continue to play tennis in order to
"stay in shape," but had not planned to join the tennis team in college. However,
she discovered that being a member of the Lesley team was "fun and less
stressful" than her high school experience. Tennis keeps me "motivated to do well
in classes" and offers "opportunities to meet new people " As one of the more
experienced members of the team, Roxana has also become a team leader, a role
certain to be valuable as she continues her academic program in management.
Lesley has seen a 50 percent increase in the number of Women's College students
who have participated in organized team sports during the last three
years.But not all students are able or interested in making the time and energy commitment required of intercollegiate athletes. For those students, there are intramural volleyball games, walking and hiking clubs, an on-campus fitness room, and Danskinetics, a low impact form of exercise that combines yoga, dance and aerobics. While the University is fortunate that Cambridge is home to a variety of recreational fields and courts -- Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School serves as the basketball team's practice site and home court -- the lack of athletic facilities poses serious challenges to the continued success of Lesley's athletic program. "I've sharpened my management and negotiation skills trying to find spaces to play. I've become excellent at bartering, says O'Gilvie, who has forged cooperative relationships with the City of Cambridge and several local colleges in an effort to share resources. Given the space constraints of the campus and the Cambridge community, athletic facilities are not expected to be built in the future.
The crew season has come to an end, but Adriana is again awake at 5 a.m, this time preparing for a 6 o'clock basketball session to practice her jump-shot. More importantly -- whether rowing or shooting baskets -- she is preparing for an ambitious, healthy life beyond Lesley University.
Faye Sampson Russell is the Assistant Dean of Students.
