By Ashleigh Sargent

In between soufflé and sauce instruction, there’s time for athletics. Yes, they do more than cook at the Culinary Institute of America. Since 2004, they’ve played intercollegiate sports (though no scholarship athletes here). And, unlike most college basketball teams, the CIA Steels are co-ed, thanks to the addition this season of Mackenzie Anderson, a freshman Culinary Arts major. Mackenzie — #23 — spoke with FGN about her co-ed sports experience and her hope that more women don’t let their sex keep them off the court or field.

FGN: The Culinary Institute of America is a cooking school that, since 2004, has had intramural sports teams, including some that are co-ed. What drew you here and why do women and men play together?

 MA: The Culinary Institute is amazing! It has been a dream of mine to come here since I was little. At the CIA, if you’re bold enough to try out, women can make the teams because they don’t offer many women’s sports yet. (They are plans to add more women’s sports).

FGN: Why did you decide to play on a men’s team?

MA: During high school I went to a local gym and worked out with personal trainers three days a week. In Fall 2009, I participated in a power lifting competition, which then lit a spark in my brain.  I realized that I was strong and decided to tryout for the football team at my high school.  I played offensive-defensive tackle, JV junior year and varsity senior year. Football was the best experience of my life. It was the most fun I have ever had in a sport, and it proved that girls can do anything guys can do.  I played simply to challenge myself, but I liked that I may have been someone to look up to. At CIA I tried out for them men’s basketball team because I love the sport. They didn’t have a owmen’s team so I just went for it. I had to try out like all the guys who came out for the team, and prove that I was just as good. I made the team knowing that I may not get much playing time, but it was worth it to me. I get to stay in shape and play a sport I love.

FGN: What is it like being the only female player?

MA: My teammates treat me like I’m one of the guys. They never go easy on me, and I have never felt excluded.  I feel I have gained respect from the team.  My coach always says, “I don’t know how you can put up with us.”  The guys always say, “Coach, she’s just one of the guys!” I love that!

FGN: Are there any particularly challenges?

MA: One challenge for me is the running. The guys are such good athletes and it’s hard for me to run as fast as them when we run sprints in practice. It’s also hard to box them out (I’m only five feet tall). Another challenge is the size of the ball.  The men’s ball is larger than the women’s ball that I have been playing with all my life, which forces me to work harder than the guys.

FGN: What do you enjoy about the team?

MA: I think the best thing about being on a team full of guys is that they always challenge you and my teammates are really fun to be around.

FGN: What have you learned from the experience?

MA:  I have learned that if you see something you want, go out and get it. Don’t let anyone stop you. I have talked to women who say, “I have always wanted to play football or I wanted to try out for basketball but didn’t want to be the only girl.” I hate hearing that! Women tell themselves they are not good enough, instead of just saying, “I am good.  I’m going to go out and show these guys what I’ve got and earn their respect.” Some days I’m proud to be the only female on the team, but I also wish more women stood up for themselves and believed in themselves.

The 2011-2012 NCAA basketball season has just kicked off, which means thousands of women are making their debut at the college level.

Even the most talented recruits, however, need more than raw skill to make an impact.

College presents new obstacles: increased intensity, expectations, and pace. Players must figure out how to navigate athletic and academic commitments – and find their place on a new team. It’s tough to go from being a high school star to sitting at the end of the bench.

Cindy Blodgett, assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island (which has six freshmen this year), says this can be a major issue to overcome.  “The college game is so different because you are no longer automatically the best player on the court.  You have to earn playing time from the start of pre-season and every practice is as competitive as a game.”

Some players do struggle with the pressure and the transition to college play. Some colleges are aware of this and trying to help. (At Wellesley College, first-year athletes are paired with an upperclass athlete who is a member of another team to provide support and advice).

Freshmen who go to practice with the right work ethic and attitude, however, often find their niche. After all, coaches are also trying to figure out how to get the most out of their new faces.

URI assistant Kelly Morrone works on smoothing the transition by trying to help freshmen fill roles on the team that may be lacking. “I ask [players] what they keep hearing the coaching staff say that this team needs — and to focus on one or two of those things.”  Players can use that information to work on their strengths and fill needed roles on the team – and earn minutes.

Players seeking ways to stand out must also be patient in dealing with sometimes unwanted attention from coaches.  Rather than thinking that a coach is “out to get them,” players should realize that coaches are often their biggest advocates.

Nerlande Nicolas, who sat the bench throughout high school before going on to be a four-year starter at Rutgers-Newark, credits her transformation to figuring that out.

“I matured a lot as a college player in simply understanding that I have to trust my coaches and understand that their criticisms and corrections aren’t a personal attack at me, but rather, they help me improve my game.”

Players who buy into a program of play and trust their coaches can find themselves in a position of real value. Making that leap, says Nicholas, is difficult and requires working harder than you’ve ever worked before. For players who find their way, the rewards are invaluable.

As freshmen take the floor with their teams this season, fans watch and try to pick out the talent, the personalities, and, of course, their favorites. It’s exciting to see the drama unfold, and new players begin to make their mark on the game.

The Playbook: Year 3 

An occasional series about University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cathy Inglese and her quest to turn around a program.

By Laura Pappano

The URI Women’s Basketball team opens the season Friday at the University of Delaware and enters Year Three of the Inglese Era squarely in rebuilding mode.

“We will live and die with a young team,” Head Coach Cathy Inglese said last week from her office in the Ryan Center. With last year’s seniors gone – including scoring powerhouse Captain Megan Shoniker – and senior talent Lara Gaspar out for the season with a torn ACL, five freshmen recruits, says Inglese, “will play a lot.”

(The five freshmen are: Rhode Island native Corinne Coia a 6-4 forward; guard Teneka Whittaker; guard Megan Straumann; guard Sydney Lewis; and guard Marie Byrnes.)

Injuries are a challenge in every sport and for every team (last year recruit Emilie Cloutier was out) and, some suggest, are becoming an epidemic in college sports as more players start younger and play year round. (Article here). Despite a spate of pre-season injuries — ankles, a concussion, strains — Inglese says this year’s recruits bring real potential.

“This is the best class of players we have brought in at URI,” says Inglese. Building a program, in other words, is just that — building. You don’t go from attracting fair recruits to luring superstars overnight, says Inglese. “Each year I try to bring in a class that is better.”

Young means certain things. For example, says Inglese, don’t expect lots of mid-game adjustments; the goal is to scout well and set a strong game plan in advance. In games and practice, she says, you emphasize basics – and repetition. During games, players will look to the sidelines — not, say, a senior leader on the court — for guidance.

“We as a staff can’t assume anything,” says Inglese.  “We have to be the ones directing them and reinforcing on a continual basis. We need to make sure we are communicating what our expectations are.”

In practices, assistant coach Stephanie Tobey is pressing for consistency in effort and skills. She wants them to “understand what it means to come everyday and bring a complete a focus and be in the zone.” And there are constant reminders of a basic directive: “Chin the ball” to keep it from opponents.

Who will be a scoring machine? Unclear. Who will emerge as a key player? Wait and see.

That’s part of the fun.

What is apparent is that these kids are eager. They have a strong work ethic and are pushing the whole team. “My assistants are out there everyday with kids who want to come to practice early or come in between classes. That never happened my first year or so,” says Inglese, adding that more players are also asking to watch extra film.

So what will the season look like?

“We are going to be a work in progress,” says Inglese. “That will be frustrating, and at times, exciting.”

URI staff members Chris Passmore, Cathy Inglese, Cindy Blodgett, Stephanie Tobey, Nerlande Nicholas.

By Ashleigh Sargent

Think of it as one step – literally a 12” stride – toward gender equity. This year for the first time, women and men will shoot from the same 20’9” three-point line.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel decided to move the women’s three-point arc from 19’9” after tracking the location of shots from three-point land. The NCAA’s study showed that the majority of three pointers taken by female players last season were taken from behind the (former) men’s three-point line.

In fact, the data show women shot an impressive 33% from this further distance, which is a higher percentage than from the 19’9” arc.

I got in touch with Kamile Nacickaite, a senior guard at Drexel University, who shot a stunning 47.8 percent from the three last year, giving her the best three-point shooting percentage of any returning NCAA DI player.

She’s game for the deeper arc. “I like this change,” she says. “It challenges players to work on their shot more.”

Nacickaite, originally from Siauliai, Lithuania, grew up shooting from the further three point line. And while that gives her an edge, she also believes the change will improve play. “The offense is more spread out, so it opens lanes for players to drive,” she says.

Drexel Coach Denise Dillon has mixed feelings. While she agrees with moving the line to make it consistent with the men’s game, she thinks it could be tough for shooters.

“The shooting percentage from the three-point line will drop.  It will take time for the players to become consistent from the new line,” says Dillon, who has noticed many shots being taken from just inside or right on the line, resulting in only two points. As a result, she thinks there may be fewer attempted threes than in the past.

To prepare, Dillon has her team doing more shooting drills from the line. “During drills the team appears comfortable with the distance, but in game-like situations many struggle with the range.” We’ll soon find out how the new line shapes play: The Drexel Dragon’s season begins November 6.

Any big change requires time to adjust. Initial struggles are to be expected. But putting the women’s three-point mark in line with the men’s only makes sense.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week remained silent in the case of a Texas cheerleader, but the message was alarmingly loud: It may be 2011, but high school girls don’t have the same rights as high school guys.

The Court declined to hear an appeal from a Texas cheerleader and her family who sued the Silsbee Independent School District for violating her rights to equal protection and free speech when she remained silent during a cheer for a basketball player whom she had accused of sexually assaulting her the previous year. Cheer him or go home, she was told.  She went home.

A federal district court dismissed the case and a three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5^th Circuit affirmed the dismissal. Amazingly, the reasoning seems to be that the school’s rights overrule the individual’s right to free speech.

In supporting the ruling of a federal district court, the 5^th Circuit panel reasoned that:

“In her capacity as a cheerleader, [the student] served as a mouthpiece through which [the school] could disseminate speech—namely, support for its athletic teams….Insofar as the First Amendment does not require schools to promote particular student speech, [the district] had no duty to promote [her] message by allowing her to cheer or not cheer, as she saw fit. Moreover, this act constituted substantial interference with the work of the school because, as a cheerleader, [she] was at the basketball game for the purpose of cheering, a position she undertook voluntarily.”

Remaining silent during a single cheer for one individual player is hardly non-support for a school’s athletic teams.  Papers filed with the court by the school district suggest that what really prompted the school’s extreme reaction was the disturbance the cheerleader’s silence caused in the stands. Perhaps it was support for her? Perhaps for the player? In either case, school officials surely could have handled the situation without violating individual rights.

It’s certainly true that a Texas grand jury failed to indict the basketball player or two other two alleged assailants. But failure to indict is not a statement about guilt or innocence; it is merely an opinion on available evidence.

Under Tile IX schools must address issues of sexual violence and harassment and create safe environments for all students. Vice President Biden has made addressing sexual violence in schools a major priority. Last month the Department of Education issued new guidelines for high schools and universities and their obligations under Title IX.

The Silsbee School District needs to read those guidelines carefully. Insisting that a young woman cheer loudly in support of the very young man she has publically accused of sexually assaulting her sends chilling messages to young women (and men): Do not speak out about sexual harassment and assault. Do not challenge the system. And  – echoes of another era (or so we thought) – You women, stay in your place, cheering and supporting men, no matter what you think of them!

Pretty much patriarchy at its worst, I’d say.

Susan McGee Bailey served as the Executive Director of the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) and a Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies and Education at Wellesley College from 1985 until January, 2011. She has conducted research on a range of gender issues in education and employment and writes and lectures on questions of women and public policy.

What a week of hoops! As a college player and fan, my observations about the tournament mixed strong emotions (one of the stars of women’s basketball ends her college career with a 72-63 loss) with excitement for the way the final game unfolded. It is meaningful to see a new team win it all.

Why did Texas A & M win? Texas was tougher down the stretch and Notre Dame didn’t have an answer for Danielle Adams, with her strong body and soft hands. Even when Notre Dame went on runs, Texas A&M never let that shake their confidence. To win close games, you have to win the battle of the intangibles. Both teams went on runs and faced lulls. It requires focus, hustle, and toughness (mental, emotional, physical) to outlast a very evenly matched opponent.

What does it mean for other college teams? Knowing that on any night that any given team can win will make teams more competitive. In the off-season, teams will work harder and look at teams like Texas A&M, which has never won the championship, and see themselves. Players can no longer settle for mediocrity thinking it doesn’t matter because UConn or Stanford will win it anyway…

Why Maya Moore is so great: Remember the streak? 90 wins. In a row. That means showing up 90 times and being the better team.  That’s 90 times teams throw everything that they have at you – but you answer. This brings me to:

— The Exposure. Maya Moore has become a name that people in the athletic world know (maybe not as well known as Kemba Walker or Jimmer Fredette), but in a tribute to her legacy on Sunday, some of the most dominant male and female athletes in sports recognized her ability as an athlete, not simply as a “female athlete.”

— Add in The Fanbase that turns out and tunes in to UConn because people love to watch Maya Moore play (and yes, she can lead SportsCenter). But the most critical to a player like me?

—  The Competition. Moore challenges her opponents in every possession of the game. Geno Auriemma challenges coaches to find a strategy to beat his team.  Teams have put their best effort on the floor for 40 minutes because UConn demands it.  Maya Moore challenges other teams to match her greatness, which means challenging women’s basketball to be better.

Maya and Me: No, I don’t know her personally, but I see a player I strive to be like. I will not reach her skill level (not many ever will), but her work ethic, attitude, leadership and character are something every player at every level can work on. She epitomizes the right way to lead and represent your team. She puts her team on her shoulders, making sure she leaves everything on the floor. I respect that and have raised the bar for myself, trying to emulate not her skills (impossible), but the way she plays the game.

Ashleigh Sargent is a sophomore at Wellesley College majoring in Psychology and minoring in Mathematics.  She is on the varsity basketball team, a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and a head of the Wellesley Athlete Mentor Program.

When Stanford went down 63-62 last night to Texas A & M, it took several minutes to sink in. And when TV cameras showed the UConn Huskies in the stands, well, you felt that they had been forewarned: Watch out, things can happen.

It didn’t matter. Notre Dame didn’t care that they weren’t supposed to (really) win, that the script was for them to play well, but then give way to the anointed Huskies.

In sports, as in life, underdogs are delightfully dangerous – and even though Maya Moore scored 36 points, it wasn’t enough for a team determined to dog and harass – and score their own buckets. They took it 72-63, in a stunning upset that – yes – heralds a new era for women’s college basketball.

OK, this is not the first time there have been upsets (remember 2006 when Maryland’s Kristi Toliver won it with a 3-point shot at the buzzer in overtime against Duke?)

But this is the first year there have been enough upsets (Gonzaga over UCLA and then Louisville. Texas A&M over Baylor. Tennessee out to Notre Dame) – to throw our once easy-to-complete brackets out of whack. (No one in my pool predicted a Texas A&M-Notre Dame championship game. Did anyone in America?)

We now have it –March Madness instead of the March Mandate.

Yes, you feel for Maya Moore ending her UConn career without another championship. But that failure does not diminish her as a player or what she’s accomplished at UConn. Yes, there are new names on people’s lips this morning: Skylar Diggins, Natalie Novosel, Brittany Mallory; and for Texas A & M, Sydney Colson and Tyra White.

Maya may be leaving, but don’t expect her to disappear. This woman has a future on and off the court.

But there is more reason than ever to tune in and not just “follow” women’s college basketball, but watch. Carefully. Because anything can happen.

By Laura Pappano

If coverage of the men’s side of March Madness seems to be playing at every hour on every available screen, it’s not your imagination.

Not only did the number of men’s teams in the tournament increase from 64 to 68, but the NCAA TV deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting means that for the first time ever, every single men’s game is being broadcast nationally.

That’s great. But amid the saturation of men’s college ball, the women’s game is drowning. Stanford vs. North Carolina at 11:30 p.m. EST? C’mon.

When Christine Brennan argued that the women’s tournament should run during a different set of weeks than the men’s, my first reaction was, “No way!” It felt like women’s sports relegated, yet again, to playing in the off-season.

But with the men not just dominating prime time, but leaving room for little else, it may be time to rethink the timing.

Yes, it used to be a problem that the men had network TV and the women only had cable. But it no longer matters as much who is broadcasting. It does, however, matter when the games are broadcast. With men’s games crowding prime time and prime days – Wed., Thurs., Fri. Sat. – leaving women Sun., Mon. Tues., viewer availability is outrageously lopsided.

That’s a shame. Competition in the Sweet Sixteen is as compelling as it’s ever been.  Commentators on the women’s side have a smart, polished presentation. And – yes – even early and mid-rounds feature screaming fans in the stands.

So here we have one of the best, highest-profile showcases of women’s sports and female athleticism in America — and it seems to hardly exist.

If we understand that airtime, debate, public discussion, workplace debate – buzz – is a form of power (remember press coverage and talk when UConn was making it’s run for UCLA’s unbeaten record?), we ought to think hard about this valuable athletic resource and find a way to get it the airtime and attention it deserves.

By Laura Pappano

It’s March Madness for a reason. Yes, UConn is dominant, but with injuries and defections, and rising teams from Baylor, Stanford, and Tennessee, who knows? This is college, after all.

Too much March Madness talk presumes that it’s all about the men’s bracket. But if the waiter who just served us dinner can have his men’s partially filled-out men’s bracket folded and tucked into his back pocket, women can catch the fire, too. Brackets are about collegiality, competition — and getting through mud season.

Yes, it looks like office-cooler fun and games, but its more than that. This is political because filling out brackets is about committing to watch, and talk, and follow. It is about building a fanbase. The friendly office pool should not only track the men’s side of the NCAA (as too many do).  So, go ahead, be a revolutionary and run your own using the women’s brackets. Print them here. Collect them by Friday. Watch the play starting on Saturday.

Go ahead and enjoy the power. It’s like voting in a non-election year.

After I recently suffered a severe ankle sprain that sidelined me from basketball for several weeks, I saw firsthand that injuries are not just physically damaging but mentally challenging too! I spoke with Kate McLaren, PhD, a sports psychologist at The Education Alliance, about what to do when injuries change the game.  McLaren, who has a PhD in sport exercise psychology, has taught at Springfield College, New England College, Lasell College, and Cal State Fullerton.

FGN: Why is it so hard for athletes to be injured? Why is being on the sidelines so hard?

KM: Being on the sidelines is difficult for athletes because they want to be in on the action and be able to participate. They also do not want to feel like they are letting down teammates, coaches, or family. Injuries can also cause fear and anxiety about the future – whether they will recover, whether a re-injury will occur, or whether someone will permanently replace them on the team.

One of the main reasons that season or career ending injuries are so difficult is because injuries act as a threat to an individual’s identity. If you ask an athlete the question “Who are you?” or “How would you describe yourself?” he or she would likely say, “I am an athlete”(rather than “I am a daughter” or “I am a Democrat”). If an individual identifies strongly with the athlete role, having a serious injury can force athletes into an identity crisis (“If I’m not an athlete anymore, who am I?”) which is very difficult to cope with.

FGN: What are the feelings that most athletes have when they suffer an injury?

KM: Typically, athletes experience fear, anxiety, guilt, anger and varying levels of depression after suffering an injury.

FGN: How should teammates of an injured athlete approach them?

KM: Each athlete will cope with injury in a different way. Some are angry, some are scared, and some are depressed. Regardless, social support from friends, teammates, and family is necessary in the recovery process.

Most athletes will feel like they are letting the team down, or like their teammates, coaches, or family might be disappointed in them – so teammates should be as supportive as possible. It is important that injured athletes still feel like they are included and that they are a part of the team. Sometimes, injured athletes end up taking the role of a team manager (keeping the book, etc.). Some athletes like this designation, others see it as a demotion – so athletes should be asked first what they would like their role to be.

FGN: Injuries often cause athletes to be timid in certain situations when they return play.  How can they deal with this?

KM: This is a very important aspect of recovery, because if an athlete is timid when they return to play, it increases the chances of re-injury. Sometimes when athletes are timid or not 100%, they focus on avoiding injury rather than on what is relevant in the sport environment. For example, if a basketball player is concerned about re-spraining an ankle during a game, she is not focused 100% on performance and what is going on around her – which can lead to re-injury or a new injury. In addition, “babying” an injury changes the way one runs or walks (gait) and general performance. This can lead to overcompensation injuries.

FGN: Injuries can also impact performance when an athlete can no longer physically do something as well as before their injury occurred. How can they manage the feelings of disappointment/frustration in a reduced level of performance?

KM: Initial declines in performance can be expected when returning from an injury based on a loss of practice time. Athletes should be mentally prepared for these declines and remind themselves that they will have to put time into their performance recovery. Research has shown that athletes who use mental imagery and visualization (mentally practicing their sport) during rehab show fewer performance declines when they return.

If the injury has a permanent negative effect on performance, it will take time for the athlete to accept their decreased performance ability.  It is really important for athletes to set small goals to help them recognize that although they may not be able to perform as they once did, that improvement is possible.

FGN: Many injuries plague athletes for their entire lives.  How should athletes keep themselves motivated to do rehab and treatment, even when they start to feel better?

KM: One of the major reasons that re-injury occurs is because athletes come back too quickly. It is critical that athletes work with their doctors, athletic trainers, and physical therapists to establish a rehab program that is appropriate for a timely recovery. It is also important to note that sometimes athletes are physically ready to return but not mentally ready.  Remember that playing scared leads to re-injury.

Athletes can stay motivated to continue with rehab and treatment by setting goals, involving friends and loved ones with treatment (invite them to rehab to watch or participate with the injured athlete), and by staying positive through setbacks. Recovery can be a very long road, but social support can significantly help with the rehab process.

Ashleigh Sargent is a sophomore at Wellesley College majoring in Psychology and minoring in Mathematics.  She is on the varsity basketball team, a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and a head of the Wellesley Athlete Mentor Program.