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Taking the Lead
From playing field to game of life, Linda Berner Adams shows true leadership By Deborah Blackwell
T
here was a time when school sports teams only consisted of boys. Not only did Linda Berner Adams help change that, she also changed the lives of generations of girls to come. From her days teaching health and physical education in the East Irondequoit Central School District, to creating and coaching team sports for girls, to top-ranking wins in New York state, to h e r
Linda Berner Adams, 69, of Rochester, for more than 30 years taught, coached and mentored girls in physical education and team sports, after instituting teams for girls at Eastridge High School in Irondequoit. Adams never missed a season of coaching field hockey. Photo was taken during the spring 2015 38
55 PLUS - May / June 2016
induction into The College at Brockport: State University of New York’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Adams epitomizes leadership. “In the beginning there were no girls’ teams or leagues, and I found myself loving teaching and coaching so much I started my own girls’ team sports,” said Adams, 69, of Rochester. “Back then you called a friend, you were your own official, you found your own team, and were at the mercy of a
field. There was no pay.” Adams was familiar with the gap in women’s sports from an early age when she longed for a chance to play on a team for fun while growing up in Buffalo. Although she thought she would eventually become a veterinarian or pediatrician, her natural love of sports was revealed while studying health and physical education at The College at Brockport. She graduated in 1968 with a degree in teaching then acquired a master’s degree in physical education from Brockport in 1991. “When you are trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, you might end up in something in an odd way,” said Adams. “Growing up, there were no opportunities for women to play sports in school. But in college, I was finally able to be on a real team for women, with coaches, uniforms, games and officials. That changed a lot for me.” Her ability to participate at Brockport set Adams on a mission after college for girls to experience what it feels like to participate on a viable team. During her years teaching at Eastridge High School in Irondequoit, she helped form girls’ teams for several sports including softball, basketball, lacrosse and field hockey. Field hockey eventually became her main focus, bringing her team to win 10 league championships, nine Section V championships and five regional championships, making field hockey the most successful team in Eastridge High School history. But it wasn’t just winning