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THE ROLE OF ATHLETICS AT CORNELL COLLEGE
Written by Leslie H. Garner Jr.
"The great things I learn in the classroom I'll carry
in my head forever.
The things I've learned in athletics I'll carry in my heart."
Jamie Wallace, sophomore
Pre-med student-athlete
Introduction
Athletics focuses on the student, not entertainment
Athletics provides a unique and valuable learning experience
Athletics brings balance to life
Athletics builds community and loyalty
Intercollegiate athletics is major news these days, on the front page
as well as the sports page. In an environment where debates are raging
over issues from admissions standards to the length of playing seasons,
it is important to be clear about our goals and aspirations for athletics.
I have heard from many alumni on this topic and I share their views, along
with my own, throughout this white paper.
Participation in athletics has long been an important component of a
liberal arts education at Cornell College. As a residential college, we
want our students to have the opportunity to engage in the highest quality
educational experiences inside and outside of the classroom. Because we
focus on the individual student, athletics at Cornell provides a unique
and worthwhile learning experience, builds community and loyalty, and
brings balance to life. This is why Cornell is committed to athletics.
Athletics focuses on the student, not entertainment
Cornell has a distinguished history in intercollegiate athletics. Among
Division III schools, we rank ninth in the nation for having graduated 25
NCAA Postgraduate Scholars since 1965. We have won numerous conference championships
and, in 1947, a national championship in wrestling. We currently compete
in 19 intercollegiate sports, nine for women and 10 for men.
As a Division III college in the NCAA since that designation was created
in 1973, Cornell sponsors athletic programs for the benefit of students.
We do not award athletic scholarships. Our coaches recognize that studies
come first.
"As a student-athlete at Cornell, I appreciated the fact that although
my coach pushed me to perform to the best of my ability in athletics,
he always maintained that academics were of the utmost importance,"
wrote former young trustee Rogene Pendleton '97, an outstanding tennis
player who graduated Phi Beta Kappa.
Unfortunately, the level of support Ro received has not always existed
at Cornell. Dr. V.K. Rowe '36 wrote to me that a football coach told him
he had to turn in his uniform if he continued arriving late to practice
after chemistry and biology labs. V.K. quit the team and spent four years
participating in intramural athletics. Today he would not have a conflict
between class and practice. With One-Course-At-A-Time, all classes and
labs end at 3 p.m., before athletic practices and music and theater rehearsals
begin.
Athletics provides a unique and valuable learning experience
As I have heard from current student-athletes and alumni, athletics provides
a worthwhile learning experience in the broader context of a Cornell education.
Student-athletes learn valuable life skills, including, but not limited
to, self-discipline, teamwork, self-knowledge, resilience, persistence,
sportsmanship, and integrity.
"Traditionally, athletics has been viewed as giving students the
opportunity to compete, develop physical skills, achieve goals (which
depends on positive coaching), test and learn 'life lessons,' handle adversity,
and learn to work with others," wrote Bill Dressel '63, a former
judge and now president of the National Judicial College. "I believe
athletics-especially at the Division III level-can be a challenging and
rewarding experience for both the student and school. It adds to the richness
of an academic experience."
The role of athletics, he wrote, is to provide the opportunity "to
compete, achieve, fail, examine one's inner self, but in the end have
a good time. My athletic competition was an important part of my life
and helped me in my life after college, but I found the same to be true
for some of my children and others who found their resource in music,
foreign language, or extracurricular science projects."
Many alumni have told me that their athletic experience was a highlight
of their Cornell education. One of those is Bob Miller '62.
"My athletic experience at Cornell was every bit as important to
me as my academic experience," Bob wrote. "What athletics teaches,
which easily transfers to being a successful trial lawyer, is hard work,
discipline, dedication, teamwork, and perseverance. For example, football
at Cornell taught me all of the above as well as when you get knocked
down you just need to get up and try again harder. All of this has served
me extremely well as Colorado's youngest district attorney, seven years
as Colorado U.S. Attorney, my run for Colorado Attorney General, and heading
up litigation at one of the nation's largest law firms. Not only has this
philosophy been my guidepost professionally, but it has served me well
in my private life trying to solve the challenges of each day. In sum,
athletics mirrors life."
Jamie Wallace, a sophomore pre-med student who competes in volleyball
and softball, told me that athletics adds value to a Cornell education.
"Cornell athletics are an irreplaceable aspect of the education and
development of student-athletes into well-rounded citizens," she
wrote. "Academics have always had precedence at Cornell, but along
with music, drama, and other activities, athletics enhances the overall
educational experience and pride in our college in a unique way. Cornell
is a Division III school. Making the Final Four is not on our horizon.
But if you peek your head in the field house at 3:30 p.m. on any given
day, you'll see a championship effort and a drive for excellence worthy
of the gold medal. As athletes, we want to succeed, we work hard to reach
our goals, and no matter what the outcome is we strive to leave our best
on the playing field every time."
In 1997 Cornell moved to the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The switch was made for a number of reasons, not the least of which was
to reduce travel time away from campus. The result is that we compete
in an athletic conference that is, for athletics, comparable to what the
Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) is for academics. After our first
year of competition in the IIAC, I asked a group of seniors what was most
meaningful to them during their four years. One of them told me it was
the move to the Iowa Conference. She told me that the competition improved,
she worked harder and got better, and although she didn't win as much,
she learned more about herself.
The level of play has risen since then and is more reflective of the
quality of a Cornell education. Last year Cornell had 29 academic all-Iowa
Conference athletes, 17 athletes-of-the-week, two coaches of the year,
several teams in playoff contention, and a conference championship for
the women's tennis team. Cornell's Iowa presence has also been affirmed
and there has been a positive effect on student recruitment.
Athletics brings balance to life
Physical exercise is an important component in maintaining health and bringing
balance to life. Athletics instills this. Athletics, which involves engaging
with teams and making friends, is also fun.
"Athletics provides for the participants a way to hone human ability
in the physical realm, and this is essential to a well-educated person,"
said Cornell associate professor of education Richard Peters. "Connecting
the playing field to the total experience at Cornell is very constructive
and it provides one of many lasting contacts that our students have with
this great institution. And on top of that, athletic competition is fun,
it's uplifting, and it demands great preparation."
Tom LaMotte '56 said his participation in tennis was one of the best
parts of his Cornell experience, because of the lifelong friendships he
formed. He emphasized "participation" over "achievement"
in athletics. "In these times, I think sports should be organized
so more students can 'participate,' those who want to do multiple sports
can, and academic achievement and participation in other campus activities
do not suffer," he wrote. "I see sports more for its 'means'
and 'journey' than 'end' and 'results.' "
Dr. John Koch '50 pointed out that "the gymnasium and academia have
been associated from early times and the terms have been interchanged.
Each activity should be supportive of the other; physical activity plus
education yields a long, fruitful life." As for the specific role
of athletics, Jack wrote, it should "encourage participation, lifetime
sport, physical fitness, volunteerism in coaching youth, and officiating
as a part of life rather than a way of life."
Athletics builds community and loyalty
One of the real advantages of Cornell is the educational value our students
receive by virtue of living on campus. They are actively engaged in the
full life of the college, of which athletics is an integral part. What would
Cornell student life be like without the oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi-that
of the Rams and the Kohawks? There is no doubt athletic play and rivalries
build community and spirit. Robin Vessels Olson '75 wrote that team bonding
is a key attribute of athletic play.
"I feel strongly about encouraging athletics at small liberal arts
colleges like Cornell. I think team sports encourage the bonding that
is so important to the whole college experience. Whether participating
or watching, the college students are together in their support of their
teammates," wrote Olson, a former student-athlete whose daughter,
first-year student Katie Olson, plays on Cornell's tennis team. "Our
older daughter attended a small college in Pennsylvania where athletics
was not supported. There was no school spirit. She missed that bonding
of cheering for the team, pulling together for a common goal. She felt
there was something missing from the social life of the college."
There is value for non-participants, too, who often know many of the
players personally, take pleasure in watching them compete, and learn
to see and value talents in others. Cornell athletes know their hall mates
are going to be at their games.
Quality athletics gives us an advantage in recruiting as well, since
60 percent of prospective students express interest in varsity or intramural
sports. Cornell's future depends on having not just first-rate academics,
but fine extracurricular programs that, considering our rural location,
enable us to meet the student desire for rich opportunities outside the
classroom.
I believe that we should continue to promote athletics, toward the goal
of providing the best possible educational experience for our students.
Last fall, Chuck Offenburger, a freelance writer and former columnist
for the Des Moines Register, attended the Cornell football game against
Buena Vista University and wrote in his online column that it was a perfect
experience in intercollegiate athletics: a competitive game played for
the love of the sport in a beautiful setting. That is the role of athletics
at Cornell.
Leslie H. Garner Jr.
President
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