Newsletter, Volume 1 Month 00, 0000
PVC News & Notes
News & Notes
35 Years of Women’s Athletics Celebration The 2005-06 women’s varsity team captains invite former female student-athletes and their families to celebrate 35 years of women’s athletics at Princeton on Sat., Feb. 11, 2006 from 12:30 p.m.-7 p.m. at Jadwin Gymnasium. The celebration will take place in conjunction with National Girls & Women in Sports Day. The day’s festivities will include a luncheon and slideshow highlighting the four decades of women student-athletes, a sports clinic and the women’s basketball game against Dartmouth at 6 p.m.
Torino Watch There may be up to three Princeton hockey players competing at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Italy. Would-be junior Liz Keady is taking the 2005-06 school year off to train with the U.S. National Team. USA Hockey will announce its final women’s roster on Dec. 27. Six-year National Hockey League veteran Jeff Halpern ’99 may also appear for the United States. He was invited to the team’s orientation camp in August and competed for the U.S. at last year’s World Championship. The men’s team will be announced ©USA Hockey on Dec. 19. Lastly, women’s hockey alum Nikola Holmes ’03 will compete in Torino for Germany. The daughter of an American father and a German mother, Holmes has been living and playing in Germany since graduating.
PVC Registration Surpasses 1,000 Mark Registrations to the PVC’s online data base climbed past the 1,000-mark in early December as more and more alumni are discovering the PVC’s new Website, www.PrincetonVarsityClub.org. If you have not yet registered, please visit the Website and join the online database, which allows members to connect with other registered teammates, classmates and friends.
Upcoming PVC Events January 12 Winter PVC Luncheon with the Coaches presented by Glenmede Trust
Tigers on TV Catch the Princeton men’s basketball and hockey teams on television over the next few months. Visit GoPrincetonTigers.com for additional information. Men’s Basketball Jan. 13 vs. Columbia Feb. 14 at Penn Feb. 17 at Cornell March 4 at Yale March 7 vs. Penn
ESPNU CN8 YES CN8 ESPNU
9 p.m. 8 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 9 p.m.
Men’s Hockey Dec. 30 at Denver Dec. 31 vs. BC/Ferris St. Feb. 11 at Dartmouth
FSN-RM FSN-RM ESPNU
9 p.m. 6/9 p.m. 4:30 p.m.
PVC NY Road Show The Princeton Varsity Club takes its show on the road to the Princeton Club of New York for a luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 2. Four varsity coaches—men’s basketball coach Joe Scott ’87, men’s hockey coach Guy Gadowsky, men’s lacrosse coach Bill Tierney and field hockey coach Kristen Holmes-Winn—will be in attendance, as well as Director of Athletics Gary D. Walters ’67. For tickets and more information, contact Louise Gengler ’75 at (609) 258-8393.
John Doar ’44 Wins NCAA Inspiration Award John Doar ’44, who was born to the Northern winter of 1921 and then made his greatest impact literally in the Southern heat, has been named one of three winners of the 2006 NCAA Inspiration Award. The Inspiration Award recognizes a current or former coach, administrator or varsity letterwinner at an NCAA institution who when confronted with a life-altering situation used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome the event and now serves as a role model for others. Doar, who lettered in basketball, is being honored for a career that saw him become one of the most important figures in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Doar will share the award with Amherst lacrosse goalie Raul Altreche, Lois Taurman, who lettered in three sports at Bellarmine. The three will be honored at the NCAA convention Jan. 7, 2006, in Indianapolis.
February 2 PVC “On the Road” in New York City at the Princeton Club of New York February 11 “35 Years of Women’s Athletics at Princeton” Celebration March 7 Men’s Basketball vs. Penn Pregame Reception presented by Glenmede Trust April 13 Spring PVC Luncheon with the Coaches presented by Glenmede Trust June 1 Senior Student-Athlete Awards Banquet visit www.PrincetonVarsityClub.org for updates on upcoming events Princeton Varsity Club News published by Princeton’s Department of Athletics, Jadwin Gymnasium, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., 08544-0071 Princeton Varsity Club 609-258-5666 www.PrincetonVarsityClub.org Director of Athletics Gary Walters ’67 Associate Director of Athletics for Athletic Relations & Marketing Jamie Zaninovich Assistant Director of Athletic Relations Kellie Gale Director of Marketing Nick Konawalik Assistant Director of the Princeton Varsity Club Louise Gengler ’75 Athletic Friends Group Manager Lorin Maurer Associate Director of Athletics Jerry Price Assistant Directors of Athletic Communications/ PVC News Editors David Rosenfeld, Craig Sachson Athletic Communications Assistant/PVC Design Yariv Amir, Andrew Borders Staff Photographer Beverly Schaefer printing by Prism Color Corp. Moorestown, N.J.
Varsity Club News
December 2005
PVC Student-Athlete Feature
A Remarkable Tale
Princeton football had a wild ride in 2005 • by Craig Sachson
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hances are, if you’re reading this story, you know the basics of the 2005 Princeton football season. Picked to finish sixth in the Ivy League and returning zero starters in the offensive backfield, Princeton put together one of the most amazing seasons in the recent history of the program. The Tigers won seven games and placed second in the league, one game short of its ninth Ivy title. They picked up their first wins over Penn and Harvard since 1995, and they knocked off eventual Patriot League champion Lafayette in their own building. The basics alone make for a remarkable tale. But basics alone don’t explain how it happened. Or why it happened. Or why the future may be just as bright as the season that just passed. Really, could you blame the local pundits for penciling Princeton as a sixth-place finisher in the Ivy League? There were so many questions to answer when the Tigers arrived at Lafayette for their season opener on a sweltering September afternoon. Plenty were answered that day, although a few more questions arose. For instance, when the same kid kept catching those third-down passes one yard past the marker, one reporter turned to another and asked, “Who is Brendan Circle?” Circle was the young man who kept catching passes from the quarterback whose name nobody could pronounce for sure. Was it Terrell like Owens, or like former Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis? (For the record, the name was like Owens, although the teammate was much more like Davis.) Then there was Rob Toresco, the sophomore starter who carries a swagger befitting his Jersey heritage. You need two yards? I’ll get three. Need four, I’ll get five. At Harvard, to extend the final drive and keep the ball away from the dangerous Crimson offense, he needed seven yards. He got nine. Might as well
overachieve up there. And there were some new faces on defense. Did you notice Peter Buchignani this year? He was the guy in the center of the three-man defensive line that limited Dartmouth to minus-6 yards rushing. If you missed it, you’ll have another chance next year. And the two after that. He’s got a couple of classmates, including Tom Methvin, who could form the nucleus of the league’s best defensive line over the next few years. But really, the story of this team was the senior class. On both sides of the ball and special teams, they were there to make the biggest plays. There were five offensive l i n e m e n , ©BKS consistently giving Terrell, Toresco and company the time and openings to showcase their skills. There was Derek Davis, the wide receiver who scored the first touchdown of the game against both Harvard and Penn, with both going at least 60 yards. There was Jon Dekker, a first-team All-Ivy selection, who grew into the go-to receiver for an inexperienced offense. Deep beneath the constant smile on the senior tight end’s face burned a competitive spirit that lifted the offense on more than one occasion. And if you don’t believe that, ask the Cornell defender who tried to keep Dekker out of the end zone this season. If he remembers the play, of course. The senior members on the other side put together the best scoring defense in the Ivy League. There was Justin Stull, the two-time captain, three-time All-Ivy selection and overall foundation of the football team. When you look back at this team, and the potential change in
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the direction of the program, his fingerprints will be all over it. Classmates Abi Fadeyi and Nate Starrett put together career years at the linebacker positions. Starrett might have been the most underrated player on the team if not for Fadeyi, who might have been the most underrated player in the league. Only one member of the Princeton defense made more impact plays than Fadeyi. If you don’t know who that was, this is probably the first you’re hearing about the 2005 season. Because if you know anything, you know Jay McCareins. A first-team All-America selection, Princeton’s first nonkicker to earn that honor since 1993, McCareins made almost every big play there was to make this season. Space constrictions—not in this story, but in the entire publication— make it impossible to list all of his contributions to this program, but make no mistake. His 93-yard touchdown return against Harvard was the biggest play for Princeton football since an 18-yard field goal in 1995 gave the Tigers an Ivy League title. It did more than put Princeton ahead of its nemesis and, ultimately,
provide the winning margin. It proved to the players, including those who will return next year, that they can beat the teams that everybody told them they couldn’t. And they listened, thwarting a late Penn rally two weeks later before pouring it on the Quakers in a 30-13 win. It wasn’t a perfect season. It wasn’t a championship season. Maybe those will come, and if they do in the near future, then the members of the Class of 2006 should consider themselves a real part of that title squad. They were the personification of the team-first mentality preached by head coach Roger Hughes. Never was that more evident then when the championship dreams were dashed following the heartbreaking defeat against Yale. There, in the locker room he spent countless hours in over four years, stood co-captain Ben Brielmaier, whose final chance at a ring had vanished in a nightmarish few minutes. Had he stormed out selfishly, team be damned, could you blame him? Instead, when a younger teammate needed him, he was there. Arms around him, he made sure he stood tall. That teammate returned the next weekend, when Princeton shut out Dartmouth 30-0, and he’ll do so again next year. He’ll return to a locker room that is prouder and stronger than it was at the same time in 2005. He will join other members of the University who understand what it takes to be winners, teammates and brothers.
Varsity Club News
December 2005
PVC Performance, Values, Community
Performance
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A Successful Fall at Princeton Field Hockey Claims Ivy title, Princeton finishes first or second in five Ivy sports
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rinceton’s group of nine fall sports enjoyed one of the University best collective fall seasons on record. In the seven Ivy sports, Princeton finished either first or second in five, and placed fourth in the other two. IELD HOCKEY The field hockey team led the charge as it regained the Ivy title after missing out in 2004. The title was Princeton’s 11th in the last 12 years. Princeton finished the season a perfect 7-0 in the Ivy League thanks to outscoring its Ivy opponents 21-4. The Tigers were led by 2005 Ivy League Player of the Year Paige Schmidt, who led Princeton in goals (11) and points (29). Princeton also boasted the league’s Rookie of the Year in Sarah Reinprecht. The Tigers qualified for the NCAA Tournament with their league championship and were selected as a regional host for the tournament. Princeton faced third-seeded Duke and former coach Beth Bozman in the first round, and the Tigers executed their gameplan perfectly. The Tigers jumped to a 1-0 lead on an early goal from freshman Leah Hoagland, and took that lead into the half. Duke answered in the second half, but could do no more, as the game headed for overtime tied. In overtime, Princeton scored what it thought was the game-winning goal, but after conferring, the referees disallowed the goal and play continued. With just over a minute of play remaining Duke was able to score to win the game. Junior goalkeeper Allison Nemeth starred in the game for Princeton, making 11 saves. omen’s Soccer One goal separated Princeton from extending its streak of NCAA Tournament appearances from six seasons to seven. Though the Tigers won their last five games of the year, including four league games to resurrect their season. The final Ivy standings finished with Yale at 16 points, Princeton 15. The difference-maker came when Princeton dropped a 2-1 decision to Yale to open the league season on Sept. 24, when
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Varsity Club News
the Bulldogs were helped by an inadvertent own goal. Still, Princeton had a chance to win the league outright with a victory at Penn on the last day of the season, which happened, and a Yale loss or tie to Brown, which didn’t. Senior Emily Behncke ended her career by being named the fourth Princetonian Ivy League Player of the Year in the last five years, and sophomore Diana Matheson and senior Romy Trigg-Smith joined her with first-team All-Ivy honors. Behncke, who finished her four years in third place on the all-time Princeton scoring list, scored 14 goals in 2005, the second-most in Princeton history behind Esmeralda Negron’s 20 in 2004, and was named second-team NSCAA AllMid-Atlantic along with Matheson. en’s Soccer A senior-laden Princeton squad recovered from a slow start in Ivy League play to finish at 3-3-1 in the league, winning three of its final four league games. The Tigers were stout defensively throughout the season, allowing just 18 goals in 17 games. Senior Darren Spicer, who led the team in scoring for the third straight year, and junior Jame Wunsch, an anchor of the team’s defense, were each named first-team All-Ivy selections. Spicer was invited to the MLS Player Combine after the conclusion of the season. Senior goalkeeper Bobby Guelich, who played every minute of every game, and freshman midfielder Matt Care each earned second-team all-league honors. omen’s Volleyball The future appears bright for the Princeton women’s volleyball team, which earned a winning record in 2005 with a lineup comprised mainly of freshmen. The leader of the pack was outside hitter Parker Henritze, who would go on to be named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year. A dominant season by first-team All-Ivy libero Jenny McReynolds, who led the NCAA in digs helped Princeton to a strong final month of the season, including a 3-0 win against eventual league-champion Cornell. McReynolds will be the lone senior on a young squad that could be just athletic enough to claim Princeton’s 14th Ivy League title in 2006. ross Country It was a standout season for both the men’s and women’s cross country teams, which each used second-place performances at Heps to springboard themselves to national championship
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December 2005
Weihenmayer Insp E rik Weihenmayer, who overcame the loss of his sight as a teenager to become the first blind man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, combined understated humor with his extraordinary story and powerful message to enthrall a crowd of 600 who saw him speak at Richardson Auditorium as part of the Jake McCandless ’51 Princeton Varsity Club Speaker Series. Weihenmayer was the third speaker in the series, which began last year with addresses from NCAA president Myles Brand and athletic administrator/ sociologist Kathy DeBoer. The series was endowed in the name of McCandless, the former Princeton football player and head coach. After an introduction from Bert Kerstetter ’66, a member of the PVC Board of Directors who played football at Princeton while McCandless was an assistant coach, Weihenmayer spoke for 90 minutes before taking questions for 10 minutes. His talk drew equal amounts of laughter and awe from the crowd, who marveled at his experiences on climbing expeditions literally around the world. Born with retinoschesis, which gradually causes the retina to deteriorate, Weihenmayer had partial sight through his childhood before losing his vision completely at age 13. Now 37, Weihenmayer has spent the time since losing his sight compiling an extraordinary record of achievement. Weihenmayer and 18 other members of his team reached the 29,035-foot summit of the world’s highest mountain on May 25, 2001. He has also reached the peaks of the “Seven Summits,” making him one of approximately 100 people who have ever climbed the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. He spoke candidly about being blind and how he had to overcome first his own doubts about what he could accomplish and then the doubts of others. He spoke about how he first reacted to the loss of his sight by shutting himself off from the world and how he first resisted learning to read Braille but later how his outlook began to change when he learned of a program to take young blind people rock climbing—“Who in their right mind would take blind kids rock climbing?” he asked—and how the experience changed him, despite “leaving a lot of skin and blood on the rocks the first time.” At the same time he quite often made fun of his loss of sight, including a reference to the time when he and a team of six had reached the summit of a mountain and then attempted to wave to his family members, who were circling the peak in a small plane. When he asked one of his fellow climbers if he thought his family
PVC Performance, Values, Community
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Community he second annual PVC Career Night was held November 15th in the Frist Campus Center. Sixteen former student-athletes returned to campus to share professional experiences and career planning advice with nearly 100 current student-athletes. Several professional fields were represented including education, law, non-profit, consulting, business, sports management, medicine and writing. Alums present included: Murray Peyton ’57 P86 (track & field), Bill Kingston ’65 P02 (basketball), Kris Brower Schulte ’83 (lacrosse & field hockey), John Heilner ’63 P93 (soccer & wrestling), Martin Johnson ’81 P07 (football), Joseph Robinson II ’05 (football), Kelley King Heyworth ’98 (field hockey), Sally Fields Joseph Robinson III ’05 and John Heilner ’73 (squash & tennis), Steven Reynolds ’80 S82 (football), Paul ’63 P93 spoke with student-athletes Cooke ’91 (baseball), Arthur “P.J.” Chew III ’95 (sprint football), about entering the Non Profit sector. Eric Kutner ’95 (tennis), Robert LeFever ’63 (wrestling), A. William Kapler III ’73 (basketball), Joan Cundey ’03 (soccer) and Paul Harris ’54 (baseball). Chew attended Career Night and was able to meet his mentee: “I enjoyed career night. It was great talking with the students. I hope that I was able to provide the guidance in finding a career path that I never had.” Career night also served as a forum for recently matched mentors and mentees to meet in person for the first time. PVC Board member and former Princeton tennis standout, Gog Boonswang ’97 highlights the goal of the PVC Mentoring Program: “The PVC Mentoring Program is designed to provide an effective tool for students and young alumni to take advantage of the incredible human capital that Princeton Athletics has produced. This is the primary tool to pass down the knowledge from our esteemed alumni to our promising young leaders.” The Princeton Varsity Club plans to host another Career Night next year.
PVC Weight Room Dedication U Directors, a new state of the art weight room stands in the same spot that housed a tired space in need of a serious makeover. Perhaps the best way to highlight the tremendous change is through the eyes of an athlete who trains there every week. At the end of the summer, my team Gary Walters ’67, Margie Gengler Smith ’73, Gog Boonswang ’96, Hewes Agnew ’58, and I came down here to work out for the Frank Sowinski ’78, Ed Glassmeyer ’63, Tara first time, and we were speechless. You Christie Kinsey ’97, Richard Kazmaier ’52. could feel the disbelief, the excitement and especially the gratitude that we all felt. What a privilege we had been given, but even more importantly, as we all understood, an opportunity, an opportunity for progress and for greatness. The impact this space has had on my team already is remarkable. Just last year, it was too crowded for us all to be down here at one time, and it was difficult to get through an entire lift. Now, three days a week we are down here, together, pushing ourselves and each other as we grow as a team. I am excited for future classes of Princeton athletes who can now develop in an atmosphere of quality Senior Annie work and accomplishment. Santi. ~ Annie Santi, a senior hurdler on the track & field team
Varsity Club News
December 2005
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pon returning to campus this fall, many studentathletes noticed quite a few changes to the old varsity weight room. Thanks to the support of the PVC Board of
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could tell which one he was, his ©touchthetop.com friend replied: “Yes, you were the only one waving your ski pole in the wrong direction.” Weihenmayer’s talk was accompanied by a slide show that visually documented his various trips. Perhaps the highlights of the night were the images of Weihenmayer and his team as they attempted to walk across ladders that connected parts of Mt. Everest that were separated by drops of more than 10,000 feet and video of Weihenmayer and his teammates as they huddled in a tent preparing for their final steps to the summit and then as they actually reached the summit. His ability to use his own words and couple them with the images left the room hushed, as it was easy to imagine the teamwork, dedication and physical sacrifice necessary to reach the top and the danger that was there the entire way—“I kept thinking to myself,” Weihenmayer said, “why am I doing this when there are cheeseburgers and French fries down there?” The story also drove home his unwavering loyalty to those who had participated in the climb with him. Most poignantly, Weihenmayer used the story of his struggles with an ice climb that had to be made 10 separate times as his team went up and down from the base camp to first become acclimated with the altitude and then later due to unfavorable weather conditions. On his first attempt, it took him 13 hours to work his way up that part of the climb; on his 10th and final attempt, it took him only five. In addition to those images, there were also shots of Weihenmayer and a group of blind Tibetan teenagers—who had been told all their lives that they were blind because they were inhabited by evil spirits—to whom he introduced climbing. Starting from scratch, Weihenmayer ultimately took them on a trip to the 21,000-foot mark of Everest. Beyond simply telling the stories of his trips, Weihenmayer also spoke extensively about leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity and turning perceived negatives into positives. At the conclusion of his speech, Weihenmayer received a prolonged standing ovation. The final question, asked by freshman women’s soccer player Allison Williams, was: “what was the first thing you did when you made it back down to the ground?” “Walk on a flat sidewalk,” Weihenmayer said, as the crowd gave him one last ovation. Visit www.PrincetonVarsityClub.org to view excerpts of the presentation.
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PVC Career Night Unites Varsity Alums with Student-Athletes T
pires Crowd
PVC Testimonial
Stephen Belmonte ’99
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appearances. On the women’s side, senior Cack Ferrell concluded a remarkable cross country career by finishing 10th overall at the NCAA championships, earning All-America honors for the third straight year. The Tigers finished 11th overall as a team at the national meet, the highest finish for a Northeast team in 2005. For the men, Frank Macreery was named an All-American after finishing as one of the top 30 American runners at the NCAA championship meet. Macreery and David Nightingale, who had finished fifth and sixth respectively at the regional meet, were Princeton’s representatives in Indiana. print Football Princeton’s 19-7 win at VMI on Oct. 29 highlighted the sprint football season as the win snapped a losing streak of 40 games. All-CSFL honorable mention Frank Langston scored two touchdowns in the win. en’s Water Polo A year after Princeton made its first NCAA tournament appearance in 12 years, the Tigers fell just short of a repeat performance. Princeton went 21-10 and finished third at Easterns. Two-time All-America John Stover became the all-time leading scorer in Princeton men’s water polo history when he scored his 241st goal late in the year. He finished his career with 254.
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The mission of the Princeton Varsity Club is “To implement and support programs that perpetuate and enhance the Performance, Values and Community of Princeton Athletics and the University.”
Performance
Enhancing the educational, athletic and postgraduate experiences of our current student-athletes.
Values
Acting as stewards who encourage, perpetuate and demonstrate the educational values inherent in intercollegiate athletic competition.
Community
building a spirited collegiality among current and former Princeton varsity athletes and other supporters as part of the long tradition of athletic excellence at Princeton.
Varsity Club News
December 2005
A PVC Testimonial
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get a constant reminder of my Princeton I feel confident that my initial athletic soccer roots every day as I pass an experience at Princeton has been shared by inscription on my way to the laboratory. “Mens many others throughout the years. The athletic sana in corpore sano,” it says in Latin. In English, adjustment, coupled with the other commitments it translates to “a sound mind in a sound body.” of typical undergraduate life, most significantly Leave it to the Romans to eloquently and the immense academic load, can make it a cogently say in five words what might take me difficult transition. Despite some sacrifices, I 500. enjoyed playing and I liked being part of the The inscription encapsulates my conception team. As I look back on a gratifying four years of the guiding principle of Princeton athletics. To as a Tiger, I have begun to appreciate the other me, the most impressive aspect of the Princeton benefits of the athletic experience that I did not athlete is his or her versatility in talents. Indeed, think about as a student. simultaneous mental and athletic practice Starting with that first team meeting and accentuate the benefits of each, rather than later reinforced many times throughout my detract from one or the other. career, I learned about personal accountability, I was a freshman in 1995 standing before teamwork, friendship and handling many different my new teammates and coaches, a week into obligations. These lessons are particularly preseason soccer practice at Princeton. Each ingrained when forged in an environment in player had to give an assessment of his personal which a group must work and sacrifice together play to date. The task is not so imposing if things for a common goal. are going well, but in my case it was like pouring I also had the privilege and honor of lemon juice on the fresh cuts to my ego. Beyond representing my school at the highest level of the difficulty of struggling on the field, I had to intercollegiate competition and building great openly and honestly admit to shortcomings. friendships along the way. I felt as if I had been dropped onto a fastI have now moved on to graduate school, moving treadmill. The pace of play was faster, the where I am doing laboratory research on the players bigger, and the skill level unquestionably heart muscle. There is not a day that goes by superior to anything I’d encountered before. I in which the perseverance, ability to manage probably spent more time in awe of the whirlwind various responsibilities and work ethic honed play around me than asserting myself into the at Princeton, on the playing field and in the fray. As I struggled to adjust to the collegiate classroom, do not stand me in good stead as I game, my hubris wore off and pursue my doctoral degree. For more testimonials by Princeton I realized I was not in high alumni student-athletes, visit PrincetonVarsityClub.org school anymore.
The Princeton Varsity Club is operated by the Office of Athletic Relations & Marketing, and PVC funds help support the following initiatives: the PVC Website; the PVC Senior StudentAthlete Awards Banquet and presentation of PVC sweaters to senior student-athletes; support for Princeton Athletics Friends’ Groups; Career Night, which brings alumni to campus to assist current student-athletes in career planning; the Jake McCandless ’51 PVC Speakers Series; the PVC News, seasonal coaches luncheons, where coaches provide an in-depth analysis of their teams and student-athletes speak about their experiences; “PVC on the Road” events; and the “Tigers in the Community” program.
The Princeton Varsity Club acts in concert with the greater University community that supports the values and ideals of Princeton athletics. While PVC membership is open to all alumni letterwinners and members of Princeton Athletics Friends’ Groups, it is also open to any and all alumni and friends who are interested in supporting the mission of the Princeton Varsity Club. Membership dues are based on a sliding scale tied to year of graduation. for more information, visit our Website at:
www.PrincetonVarsityClub.org
PVC Tigers in the Community
Reaching Beyond the Campus
Field Hockey team volunteers with children at Anchor House • by Lauren Ehrlichman ’06
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uring the course of the field hockey season, the time commitment to athletics and academics is so great that it becomes easy to lose sight of anything else. As a team, we decided last spring that we wanted to do something to give back to our community at large and become involved in a program that would allow us to interact with people beyond the gates of Princeton University. We were looking for something we could do all together, and the idea of working with kids appealed to each of us. The Anchor House, located in Trenton, is a temporary housing agency for children who are currently in “in between” situations-some may have run away from home,
some may have been abused or in some other way at risk, and some are homeless. On Friday afternoons, our whole team drove to the Anchor House after practice or lifting and brought along various treats and ideas. Some weeks we played board games or watched movies like The Incredibles, other times we made pasta and brownies or brought along pizzas, one time we had a dance party and the kids showed us how to dance to their favorite song, and one week we had a very lively and competitive game of Four Square with the kids. The number of kids varied from around half a dozen to as many as ten or so at a time, and so the ratio of the kids to members of our team was small enough for us to really get
WHAT THEY SAID...
to know the kids on an individual basis. There were new faces every week, many of them eager to hang out with us outside, in the kitchen, or watching movies, and occasionally some who were initially shy and withdrawn but often warmed up to us by the end. We arrived each week knowing that for the two hours or so we were there, we would do our best to distract these kids from whatever was going on in their lives that had brought them to the Anchor House. And while we were informed that it was best not to ask the children about their history or families, they sometimes sought us out to discuss their families, school situations, or whatever else was on their minds. All in all, our days at the Anchor House and the children we got to know became a part of our daily lives and conversations. We still talk about the kids as though they were our friends from school, and the chance to hang out with them and each other and get involved in fun activities was something we looked forward to each week-it never felt like “volunteer work,” but more like a chance to visit our friends, meet new ones, and get caught up on what had happened with them
“I could not be more pleased of the leadership my athletes have shown with regard to community service. I think that college can be an easy environment to insulate yourself from the outside and in the meantime forget to be a citizen. My studentathletes want to make a difference inside and outside the walls of Princeton and I am so proud of them for that.” Kristen Holmes-Winn, Head Coach “Our journeys to the anchor house not only touched the ones we worked with, but it also touched each and every one of us. Giving back to others, guiding them in the right direction and taking time for children rewards us in the most natural ways.” Maren Ford ’06 “The Anchor House provided children in the community with a place where they could find comfort, support, and friendships away from their homes. Participating in such an organization was not only a privilege, but a pleasure as well.” Allison Nemeth ’07
“Tigers in the Community” works with many community partners to reach across borders to educate: to teach values through sport, build character, sportsmanship and intellect. Princeton’s studentathletes and the athletic department recognize that they have the resources and identity which allow for a valuable and meaningful partnership with the community. Tigers in the Community supports the student-athlete in his/her broader educational goals to give back to the community. in the past week. We discussed the possibility of incorporating schoolwork tutoring into our visits next spring, and the team is looking forward to either continuing our visits at the Anchor House or another program in the upcoming months. Volunteering at the Anchor House has reinforced our perspective that as important as field hockey is in our lives, there is a community beyond our campus that we can impact in a positive way with just our friendship, companionship, and time.
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Varsity Club News
December 2005
PVC Join the Club
Benefits of Membership
Membership Fees
Membership in the varsity Club is open to all letterwinners, alumni, parents and friends of Princeton Athletics. Varsity Club membership benefits include the following: • Varsity Club lapel pin • Subscription to the PVC News • Preand post-game notes via e-mail • Invitations to special events
PVC Endowment Fund
Levels of Support.................................. Class $25..................................................... 2001-05 $75..................................................... 1995-00 $100................................................... 1990-94 $150................................................... 1955-89 $100......................................1954 and earlier $150...................................non-letterwinners
Please consider a gift, in addition to your annual membership, to this new initiative of the Princeton Varsity Club. This fund will be used to build a legacy for the future of Princeton Athletics and its student-athletes.
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I would like to support Princeton Athletics! Please designate my gift to: c Princeton Varsity Club 76 $ _________
c Sprint Football 42
$ _________
c Baseball/Softball 82
$ _________
c Squash 71
$ _________
c Basketball 43
$ _________
c Swimming & Diving 50 $ _________
c Crew (PURA) 48
$ _________
c Tennis 55
c Fencing 57
$ _________
c Track & Field/CC 46 $ _________
c Field Hockey 19
$ _________
c W. Volleyball 95
$ _________
c Football (PFA) 41
$ _________
c W. Water Polo 66
$ _________
c Golf 49
$ _________
c Wrestling 54
$ _________
c Ice Hockey 44
$ _________
c Lacrosse 53
$ _________
c M. Volleyball 96
$ _________
c Soccer 77
$ _________
c M. Water Polo 51
$ _________
$ _________
Self-Funded Varsities:
I would like to contribute a total gift of: $ _________________
Varsity Club News
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PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Varsity Club News
December 2005
December 2005