Volume 137 No. 23

Building for better

College’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity allows students to volunteer in a variety of ways. The club holds a monthly day-build in surrounding areas.

Springfield

___ By Patrick Fergus ___ @Fergus5Fergus

Supporting local small businesses, donating to a food pantry or cleaning up parks are common ways to give back to a community. Luckily, for Springfield College students, a partnership with Habitat for Humanity allows a convenient opportunity to volunteer.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that offers homeownership opportunities to families who cannot obtain conventional financing for a house of their own. Springfield’s chapter, located in West Springfield, is directly affiliated with the College and offers participation through a club on campus.

Kaylie Langer, a senior Athletic Training major, has been involved with the group since her first year and strongly advocates for its purpose.

“With this project, you’re building a house, but you’re also building the foundation of where a family will grow and make memories together,” Langer said.

The club typically holds a monthly day-

build, visiting local Massachusetts towns and cities like Holyoke, Chicopee and Agawam. As they often arrive at different stages of the building process, the responsibilities of the volunteering students usually vary. They help with putting together the siding, drilling nails into other areas and setting up the outline that will be filled with concrete later.

A unique aspect that many students enjoy is that the family the house is being built for is at the building site. Students also get to know the families while working with them side by side.

“I love working with the families and getting to know them because you get the satisfaction of knowing that you’re making a difference in their lives,” Langer said.

“The fact that they also work with us is interesting because it allows us as volunteers to be a part of the building process with them.”

Another member, junior Nadia Ghareeb, got involved with the organization through a club fair during her sophomore year – but

had long known about Habitat’s long-reaching impact.

“I’ve always been interested in the organization, and thankfully the school made it really easy to get involved,” Ghareeb said. “It’s always nice to feel proud of something you’ve done, and that’s always how I feel at the end of a build.”

Outside of the rewarding feeling of helping people in need, Ghareeb also thoroughly enjoys the rush of completing a successful building project.

“The actual building part is one of my favorite aspects, because we never really question what goes into building a house, and each small step is so important to the final home,” Ghareeb said.

While the day-builds are the most available opportunities, the club also offers a Spring Break trip. The trip consists of a longer-term building process in farther locations, as past trips have gone to places like North Carolina and Colorado.

Overall, both Gha-

reeb and Langer strongly advocate for people to get involved with Habitat for Humanity and the many enriching experiences that it offers.

“Recognizing your privilege and being able to use that privilege to help someone in need is very fulfilling,” Langer said.

To get involved, contact springfieldcollegehabi@gmail.com for more information, or visit the Habitat for Humanity page on the college website.

Springfield students building homes during the Alternative Spring Break Trip. (Photos by Kaylie Langer)

Springfield alum to speak at graduation

Peter G. Watson (‘79), former president and CEO of Greif Inc., selected as the 137th Undergraduate Student Commencement Ceremony speaker.

Peter G. Watson will be the commencement speaker at the Springfield College Undergraduate Student Commencement Ceremony this year.

Watson was a graduate of Springfield College in 1979, and he received his master’s degree the next year. Watson was also a member of the football team, and then became a coach for a brief period after graduating before moving on to Cornell University.

Following his coaching career, Watson shifted into a business career. He joined Greif, Inc., a packaging company, in 1999 until his recent retirement earlier in 2023. During his time there, Watson served in many high ranking executive positions. He was the President and CEO from 2015-2021, and then served as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Despite Watson’s strenuous and time

demanding position at Greif Inc., he was still a frequent visitor to the campus, and very much still committed to helping Springfield College as much as he could.

“He’s been very committed to helping our students develop and grow through going into classrooms and running leadership programs,” said Kerry Calnan, Chief of Staff of the Office of the President.

Although they ultimately decided on Watson, selecting the commencement speaker is no easy task.

A committee in the Office of Academic Affairs has to do a large amount of research on potential candidates they think would be interesting and engaging speakers for the students that are graduating. Once they have nominated a group of potential candidates, the

nominated candidates move to the Office of the President, where the final selection happens.

This year, the committee and the Office of the President decided on Watson due to his strong ties to the campus he once resided on.

“He truly is a leader, so we thought it would be a really good opportunity for him to share that on a bigger scale, instead of classroom to classroom,” Calnan said.

“He’s still very connected to Springfield, having been on the football team, he still works a lot with our athletes and in our business classrooms, and it was just a perfect fit.”

When Watson was approached about being the speaker, he was very much up to the task.

“President Cooper had a meeting with him, and he was very, very interested in moving forward with the process,” Calnan said. “I think he was humbled about being asked and really excited about the opportunity.”

The Undergraduate Student Commencement Ceremony will be held on May 14 at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony will take place in downtown Springfield, Mass. at the MassMutual Center, where attendees will get a chance to hear from Watson.

“I think that folks that attend will really see his passion come through,” Calnan said.

Watson presenting to a group of student athletes about leadership. (Photo Courtesy Springfield College)

___ By Nick PaNtages ___ @nick_pantages22

Getting you Enright

Gary Enright, longtime Associate Director of the Counseling Center, provides students with a safe space to talk about their emotions.

“She told me about a woman who was already working here, who had taken a maternity leave, and didn’t want to come back full time,” Enright said.

Enright got the part-time position and job-shared with the woman on leave. On top of his duties at Springfield, he was also the director of the counseling center at Elms College.

ation when I came to work here.”

Following Whiting’s retirement in 2012, Brian Krylowicz filled his role. But even with the change, Enright feels that Krylowicz has only built off the foundation his predecessor had built.

Gary Enright has been a pillar of the Springfield College community for over 30 years. After graduating from the College in 1979, he returned and received his Masters degree of Education in 1987.

After that, he worked as a case manager with low-income

__ By Luke Whitehouse __ @Lwhitehouse12

and troubled individuals. It was there he learned to enjoy interacting with people and talking them through whatever situations they were going through.

But, when a job opportunity in the Counseling Center at Springfield presented itself, he jumped at the

opportunity.

Unfortunately, though, he finished second out of the 20 people who applied.

A year later he caught his big break. The woman who had gotten that job the previous year notified him of a position that could be of interest to him.

Eventually, as the Counseling Center expanded at Springfield, Enright earned a full-time position as the Associate Director – a position he has now held for the last 23 years.

The previous Director, Dick Whiting, founded the Counseling Center and was at the college for 40 years. Whiting had an immense impact on Enright.

“[Dick] was always so committed,” Enright said. “I liked the commitment that he showed when I was a student, and I had an even bigger appreci-

“Brian is very committed to the college,” Enright said. “But more importantly, [he’s committed] to his students and staff.”

When Enright first started, there were three common themes among his students: Depression, anxiety and relationships. Although those focuses have not changed, the stigma around mental health has – and in a positive way.

With famous athletes such as Simone Biles speaking out in support of putting mental well-being first, it’s encouraged people of all age groups to seek help.

“The good news is that more people are accepting,” Enright says. “We just need

Enright has been the Associate Director for over 20 years. (Photo Courtesy Springfield College)

has recognized his presence within the community.

ing that this individual is deeply cared for by others, and the feeling is mutual.”

And when Krylowicz took over in 2012, he knew right away what he had in Enright.

Although Enright acknowledges that having someone to talk to is very important, the current counseling centers across the country are struggling to meet the high demands of patients. After the COVID-19 pandemic slightly subsided, and students were able to come back to campus, anxiety was at its peak.

With the help of Krylowicz, Springfield College responded by expanding its Counseling Center. But this wasn’t to Enright’s surprise, as the College has always taken steps to ensure that there was a safe place for students to speak freely of their feelings.

Enright has enjoyed his job a great deal over the past 20plus years, but seeing

students grow over their time here is his pride and joy.

“There’s times where I’ve seen someone for maybe a year and then realize they’re about to graduate,” Enright said. “And I feel like I’ve known them for 10 [years] based on the changes in growth that they’ve made.”

Enright has a unique viewpoint on the way he approaches his job.

“I like to use the word, ‘Coach,’ because at some level I’m coaching people,” Enright said. “Well like any coach knows, you have to have the right game plan. And then go out and have their team execute it. The success stories walking out of here are incredible.”

Although Enright doesn’t take full credit for his impact on the college, Springfield

In September of 2019, he was awarded the “Cheney Award,” honoring him and his commitment to his students. President Mary-Beth Cooper said walking into Enrights office is like, “a temple of student appreciation… walking into it you find artwork, cards, tokens of appreciation, quotes, and an immediate undeniable understand-

“Gary was an unbelievably wonderful person to inherit,” Krylowicz said. “When you inherit someone like Gary, it’s like a coach inheriting LeBron James on their team.”

Center has always had students that are going through a wide array of situations, but one thing Krylowicz noticed was Gary’s character – whether it’s talking with a student, a staff member or anyone that crosses his path.

“He’s a phenomenal human being and how he treats others is genuinely who he is as a person,” Krylowicz said. to make sure that we are able to handle the numbers.”

The Counseling

Enright posing with President Mary-Beth Cooper after winning the Cheney Award in 2019. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

When you inherit someone like Gary, it’s like a coach inheriting LeBron James on their team.

- Brian Krylowicz

Two weeks removed from moderating “Title IX Across the Professions” –a lecture in which a panel of Springfield graduates detailed their experiences as women in male-dominated fields – Springfield College Assistant Professor of Communications

Aimee Crawford was at the forefront of her own presentation.

Instead of focusing on male-dominated workforces, however, Crawford concentrated on a male-dominated sport: baseball. In the presentation on April 6, 2023, titled, “The Grass Ceiling: How Women and Girls Have Been Shutout of Baseball,” Crawford examined how the rich history of girls and women in baseball has been largely overlooked by the media and popular culture. The presentation took place at The Forum on the second floor of the Harold C. Smith Learning Commons.

As a member of sports media herself, having more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor in print, digital and cross-platform roles for Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, MLB.

The Grass Ceiling

Assistant Professor of Communications

Aimee Crawford presented on the long history of women in baseball.

ty’s Oliva Pichardo – the first woman to play Division-I college baseball.

the best leagues, and I think that the presentation really reinforced that.”

com, People and ESPN, Crawford reminisced how she found the love of the game.

It all began with her grandfather, Thomas Moore. Moore, a former baseball player himself, was the first one who showed Crawford the sport. And quickly, Crawford became infatuated with it.

“It’s kind of a love letter to baseball, my relationship with it,” Crawford said about her presentation.

She had played baseball growing up, but at just 12-years-old, she decided that if she couldn’t be the first woman to play Major League Baseball, then she would be the first to write about the woman who does.

During her time as a baseball reporter at Sports Illustrated, Crawford was presented with an opportunity to finally shine some light on women playing the sport.

She was tasked with attending a screening of “A League of Their Own,” a movie released in 1992 that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League,

to fact check a review written by Steve Wulf.

After watching the film, Crawford was amazed that there was an entire league dedicated to women playing the sport she loved. It also intrigued her to look farther into the history of women in baseball. When she did, she found that the history of women and girls in the sport goes back just as far as it does with men.

Crawford transitioned into highlighting some of the most important and influential females that have come in contact with the sport.

Beginning by highlighting the Vassar Resolutes, the first ever organized team of women baseball players who formed in 1866, Crawford chronologically told the story of many “firsts” for women in baseball.

The list of names included Lizzie Arlington –one of the first women to play with male teammates; Helene Britton – the first woman to own a professional team; Toni Stone, Mamie Johnson and Connie Morgan – three Black women who joined the Negro Leagues; and most recently, Brown Universi-

Crawford also spoke upon the female baseball teams and leagues that have come to be overtime, such as the aforementioned All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, along with the Colorado Silver Bullets.

One of the centerpieces of Crawford’s presentation was on Springfield College alumnus Justine Siegal and the organization she founded, Baseball for All. The organization is a safe place for girls and women in baseball, giving them the opportunity to play in all-women baseball tournaments.

Crawford ended the presentation by showing a sample of the documentary she is working on about Baseball for All.

As the presentation came to a conclusion, Crawford could do nothing but smile as the overcrowded room erupted into a deafening applause. First-year student Nick Pantages was one of the many people pleased with the presentation.

“I’ve always thought for years that anyone can play against anyone if you’re good enough,” Pantages said. “If you’re one of the best players, you should be playing in

Women playing baseball is something that Pantages has had some experience with when he played growing up. He remembers clearly facing one of the best players in his town, who happened to be a girl.

“I didn’t strike out a lot in my playing career, but she struck me out twice in one game,” Pantages said. “That was always something that my friends kind of got on me a little bit, but hey, they struck out against her too.”

As for the future of females in baseball, Crawford acknowledges that although strides are being made, there is still work to be done.

“The fact that there are multiple women playing college baseball, women coaching at every level of baseball and girls playing baseball more than ever, we’ve made a ton of progress,” Crawford said. “However, you only have to look at the comment section on any of the stories about these women to realize we still have some work to do. There’s still a lot of misogyny out there about the idea of women playing what they still consider a men’s sport.”

Crawford fills out baseball scorecards for every game she watches. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Flickr)

___ By Braedan Shea @braedan_shea

SceneS from Sti-Yu-Ka

During the course of the week, Springfield College celebrates its annual Sti-Yu-Ka events across campus.

(Photos Courtesy Springfield College Flickr)

Bella Cardaropoli

Bella Cardaropoli won this edition’s Springfield Student Athlete of the Week with 44.8 percent of the vote. The junior attacker for the women’s lacrosse team scored four goals and provided two assists in the Pride’s 22-4 victory over Emerson on Saturday.

Close behind was Amelia DeRosa with 36.4 percent in the poll. Last week, the first-year pitcher/first baseman for the softball team went 15-for-21 with five doubles, a triple and a home run at the plate, and threw 11 innings with only one earned run allowed. On Tuesday, she hit for the first cycle in Springfield softball history.

Riley Burgmyer

The winner of this edition’s Springfield Student Athlete of the Week with 52.9 percent of the vote. The senior attacker for the men’s lacrosse team scored three goals and provided two assists in the Pride’s 24-13 victory over Emerson on Saturday.

Colby Wilson earned second place in the poll with 23.2 percent of the vote. The senior jumper for the men’s track and field team finished first in the long jump with a distance of 6.81 meters at the Springfield College Classic. Receiving the third-most votes was Marc Villanueva Abad with 14.5

percent of the vote. The first-year tennis player won both his doubles and singles matches in the Pride’s two victories against Clark and Wheaton this past week. Noah Weislo rounded the vote out after a solid showing on the court. The sophomore outside hitter for the men’s volleyball team combined for 28 kills in Springfield’s two games this past week.

Be sure to follow @TheSpfldStudent on Twitter to vote in the next poll!

Sophie Warren received the thirdmost votes with 14.7 percent in the poll. The junior thrower for the women’s track and field team finished first and set a personal best in the hammer throw with a distance of 44.95 meters at the Springfield College Classic on Saturday.

Rounding out the vote was Gabby Heaney-Secord after an impressive pair of performances on the courts. The senior women’s tennis player won two doubles matches and singles matches this past week, with one singles match consisting of two 6-0 set wins.

Riley Burgmyer. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Bella Cardaropoli. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Crain: Controversy over Angel Reese should be a wake-up call

Springfield Student News/Enterprise editor Carley Crain explores the double standards of race and gender in women’s basketball.

___ By Carley Crain ___ @carley_crain12

When a woman athlete talks trash in a game, she is seen as “unsportsmanlike” or “annoying.” Add race into that equation, and the insults become even worse. But when a man does the same thing, he is celebrated (cue “The Man” by Taylor Swift). It’s the same concept as slut-shaming. The race and gender double standards were in full effect during the NCAA Division I women’s basketball National Championship.

University of Iowa star Caitlin Clark is known for her on-court personality. She isn’t afraid to get in competitors’ faces and try to intimidate them. Angel Reese, who plays for Louisiana State University (LSU), has a similar approach to the game. But as a woman of color, she has been intensely

scrutinized and harassed for her “you can’t see me” hand gestures.

Clark has been one of the more prominent trash talkers since her first year in a Hawkeyes uniform, and ESPN even made a video montage about her titled: “The Queen of Clapbacks.” Her actions were praised. The main difference between Clark and Reese? Clark is white.

During the title game between Iowa and LSU, Reese waved a hand in front of Clark’s face –something Clark had done to Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith earlier in the tournament –mimicking John Cena’s popular taunt. Reese also pointed to her ring finger, which symbolized LSU winning the national championship.

Frankly, it took a lot of bravery for Reese to do what she did. I ap-

plaud Reese for being her authentic self, because in a patriarchal society, it’s not easy to do that.

After the taunts, the word “classless” trended on Twitter. Former ESPN sports commentator Keith Olbermann, who has been suspended before for inappropriate Twitter use, even went to Twitter and shared some very harsh words about Reese, calling her a “f— idiot.” Other people, including Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, called Reese a “classless piece of s—.”

LSU trounced Iowa 102-85 to win its first championship in school history. A few days later, First Lady Jill – who had attended the Women’s Final Four, announced online that she hoped her husband, Joe Biden, would invite Iowa –along with LSU – to the White House because,

“they played such a good game.” This would have been the first time that the runner-ups attend the White House. Reese was very upset by this, leading her to tweet, “A JOKE,” with laughing-face emojis. Now, if LSU were the runner up, would it be invited, especially since almost all of the athletes on their team are BIPOC? I think we all know the answer.

On the flip side, Sports Illustrated is already anticipating Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s trash-talk for the next NFL season. The article titled

“Tyreek

Hill is Already

both racist and sexist? It could be easy to ignore these two factors when talking about this situation and to “not bring up the race card.” But it is ignorant if someone chooses to do that. Asking the hard questions like, “Why was Caitlin Clark’s trash talking featured in an ESPN montage video and Reese’s were seen as ‘classless’ and ‘unsportsmanlike?’”

Each athlete was doing the exact same thing, and the only difference is their skin color.

Talking

Trash

Ahead of 2023 Return to Arrowhead” features lines like Hill saying “Guess what? I’m gonna be y’all’s worst enemy that day.” It’s almost like the writer was encouraging it. So how is all of this

If sexism and racism continue to be ignored, then nothing will ever change, except the fact that people will repeatedly get hurt and brutalized. So even though it is uncomfortable to talk about race, especially as a white person, it is needed. Ignorance is not bliss – just destructive.

Angel Reese performing her ‘ring me’ celebration against Iowa. (Photo courtesy of People Magazine)

Headed for the Hall

During his illustrious career, Class of 2023 Springfield Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Peter Chandler (‘75) played with and against soccer legend Pelé.

was inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Growing up in the depths of Duxbury, Massachusetts, Chandler was a seasoned athlete – but never expected to make it to the professional level.

“I always loved sports and was very athletic,” Chandler said. “I was just programmed that way.”

Between a number of sports, one sport stuck out to him at an early age – soccer.

Unfortunately, soccer was not offered at his middle school. Instead, Chandler found himself in an oversized football uniform.

and loved it.”

Although that was until he stepped on the field and experienced what football was actually like.

“I remember being a linebacker, but I did not start; I was never a big guy,” Chandler said. “This one time, their running back was running right at me, and I tackled him. But, in the midst of him being tacked, I was like: ‘Holy smokes, I think I got run over by a freight train!’”

token, 12-year-old Chandler also stumbled upon a photo that spoke a million words.

“It was a picture of Pelé,” Chandler said. “And he was the first million-dollar athlete.”

Chandler’s dad, a sports writer for The (Brockton, Mass.) Enterprise at the time, showed him the photo.

“I could not see what a million dollars was,” Chandler said. “But, I thought: ‘Wow, that is pretty cool, I will stick with this.’”

__ By Sean Savage __ @SeanSav13

Peter Chandler felt “like a little kid looking at stars,” he says now.

Chandler was warming up, surrounded by 20,000 fans before his North American Soccer League (NASL) match with the Hartford Bicentennials started. And there, on the other

side of the pitch, was Pelé.

Just a few years after graduating from Springfield College, Chandler was playing against the superstar he had grown up admiring.

After his professional career, Chandler

“None of the equipment fit very well,” Chandler said. “I could spin the helmet all the way around my head, and the shoulder pads were huge.”

After some time, Chandler adjusted to the game – just not to the uniform.

“It did not matter what I was doing,” Chandler said. “I was just naturally athletic

Chandler found himself playing the wrong kind of football. Thankfully, Chandler’s sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Quincy, was a lifeline for Chandler’s passion.

During recess, students were divided into teams based on their class.

“[Quincy] would let us go out there and play,” Chandler said. “He would not even coach us, maybe call a foul if he needed to.”

This is where his passion took root for Chandler. By the same

“That definitely influenced my passion for the game,” Chandler said. “Just seeing him and the world player he became.”

When Chandler reached high school, soccer came knocking. His passion and love for the game were so strong that Chandler played the game exceptionally well even though he didn’t have formal playing experience beyond recess.

Chandler grew into a clinical goal scorer: his runs were dangerous, he split the defense

Chandler playing for the Hartford Bicentennials. (Photo Courtesy of Tampa Bay Rowdies)

with beautiful runs and when he slipped through on goal, he tucked it away.

Although Chandler never won a state championship with Duxbury, he was the leading goal scorer when he graduated.

Chandler’s high school English professor, Foster Cass, was a Springfield College graduate who took Chandler to visit campus.

“I knew the reputation Springfield had,” Chandler said. “Especially for their Physical Education program, which is what I wanted to major in.”

Chandler, who played both soccer and baseball in high school, arrived at Alden Street and had an interview lined up. Right after it was conducted, Chandler was informed he was accepted on the spot.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that is pretty unusual,’” Chandler said. “I thanked him for that and I was just like, ‘All right, let’s go!’”

Chandler’s poise on the pitch directly translated to the collegiate level and was an ample reason for Springfield College’s abundance of success.

Chandler collected back-to-back New

England Championships with the Pride. This was also in an era when Springfield was an NCAA Division II school.

Each year the Pride won, they went on to compete with New York’s Division II champion, where they would battle it out in one last game.

In 1973, the Pride matched up against Oneonta, and this was one of the highlights of Chandler’s collegiate career – but not for the reason you would think.

“It was the worst weather I have ever played a college game in,” Chandler said.

A day prior to kickoff, it snowed a foot in Oneonta. But the hosts were not going to let anything get in the way.

“It was a grass field, and it was nothing but mud,” Chandler said. “They tried to throw cat litter, they tried to burn the field and get the snow off, and they had their kids trying to shovel the snow off. But it was a mess.”

An opponent at the time, Farrukh Quaraishi – who would become a future teammate – immediately noticed just how good Chandler was, especially at the collegiate

level.

“He was incredibly skillful, and the outstanding player on their team,” Quaraishi said. “We were used to playing some good players, but Peter [Chandler] was just an outstanding player.”

Unfortunately, the Pride could not pull through. But, nonetheless, they still were champions of New England. In 1974, the story was the same – except this time against Adelphi. And the result was the same.

After four years, Chandler finished just one point – goal or assist – shy of tying the previous school record.

“I actually paid no attention to records, though. I just played for the love of the game,” Chandler said.

In February of 1975, Chandler and a few of his teammates heard about an opening for the Hartford Bicentennials – a summer professional team.

Chandler thought, “I guess I will go see what it is like; it could be fun.”

Around 45 players showed up for the team’s tryouts. A few already knew the coach, which left a little more than half of the starting XI open with reserves. The

pressure was on, as there was only one day for each player to show off his skills.

Adding to the mess, the tryouts were held in a small gymnasium – with a floor, not out on a field.

As the tryouts came to a close, the coach asked if everybody had gotten on the floor. Chandler was the only one to raise his hand to say he did not get a chance.

Chandler was ready to do anything to make the team. In this case, it was playing a foreign position, defense. From being the leading scorer to becoming the team’s anchor is no easy task – especially in the middle of a professional-level tryout.

“That is just how it unfolded,” Chandler

said. “I do not know what the coach saw in me. Yet, the Lord works in mysterious ways.”

Before Chandler could even process what had just happened with his nerves and adrenaline high, he was asked to come back for practices. Not long after that, Chandler was offered his first professional contract.

“Of course, there was no bargaining,” Chandler said. “I just said: ‘Yeah, yeah!’ I thought I had just died and gone to heaven with my first year as a professional.”

At the time Chandler was going professional, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was trying to Americanize the game. This

Chandler won back-to-back New England championships at Springfield. (Photo courtesy of North American Soccer League)

For Chandler, the rule secured his starting position. For America, the idea meant some of the world’s best players would venture over to the NASL to spread the love for the game.

That included, Pelé, Brazil’s phenom and one of the world’s best players, who joined the league, along with

had the spotlight and recognized talent, and Chandler had to stand tall against them on a new team.

“The NASL was starting to gain some real recognition,” Chandler said. “The stands would just be filled. If someone like Pelé would even just come out and wave, fans would feel like they had just died and gone to heaven.”

The pressure was on Chandler early, but he was ready. Poland came to scrimmage the Bicentennials in a preseason match – Chandler’s coach, Manfred Schellscheidt, threw Chandler right in, but he had an assignment.

same year, Chandler played in the Mexico City Cup, representing his country. He had three caps against Argentina, Costa Rica and Mexico.

“I got to start all three of those games,” Chandler said. “It was strange being in such a big stadium [Aztec Stadium]. But, it was an honor nonetheless.”

Chandler spent three years with the Bicentennials – which were sold and relocated to California in 1977 – before joining the Tampa Bay Rowdies, where he reunited with Quaraishi.

carpet, but there was still some left over – so they threw it in the trunk. By the time the trunk flew open, Quaraishi did not realize how much room there was back there.

“I climbed into the trunk and said, ‘Peter, you could sleep in this trunk!’ As I got in the trunk, he shut it on me,” Quaraishi said.

But there was a problem. The trunk could only be opened from the outside – and the key happened to be in Quaraishi’s pocket.

England’s captain center-back Bobby Moore, Northern Ireland’s darting winger George Best and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer – debatably the best center-back of all time – to name a few.

“I was just the young buck, with maybe some speed,” Chandler said.

The list of players Chandler had to face included Carlos Alberto, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Müller, Eusébio – all these players

He had to man mark the top goal scorer in Poland and fifth alltime in goals at the time – Grzegorz Lato.

“I was thinking to myself: ‘Oh, really,’” Chandler said. “I guess my best aspect was just being quick.”

After the game, it was clear Schellscheidt loved what he saw in the young stud. Schellscheidt also just so happened to be the U.S. National Men’s Team head coach.

“After the 1975 season, he invited me to play with the national team,” Chandler said.

In August of the

“At this point, he had the technical ability and the intelligence to play at the highest level,” Quaraishi said. “He adapted his game very well. He used to be a forward, so he knew how they played – so it was not a huge learning curve.”

Although, in the back of Chandler’s mind was revenge after the 1973 loss to Quaraishi and Oneanta.

One warm, dark night Quaraishi decided it would be a great idea to replace the carpeting in his old car. So he decided to head over to Chandler’s house for some help.

Chandler took over putting down the new

“It was almost airtight,” Quaraishi said. “I was also claustrophobic, so I was really panicking.”

Standing on the outside laughing through all of this was Chandler. He finally got his revenge – and they are still friends to date.

But, when it came down to it, “Peter was very down to earth,” Quaraishi said. “He had very good habits – he trained hard, he took care of himself and you always knew what you were going to get from him every game.”

Chandler’s impact on each team he played for was apparent. His successful style of play led him to be invited a

See Chandler continued on Page 15

Chandler played for the Bicentennials for three years (Photo Courtesy of North American Soccer League) led the NASL to instill a rule: one American player had to be on the pitch at the start of the game.

Building blocks

The men’s and women’s club soccer teams created a foundation in their inaugural seasons, and both aim to improve for next year.

__ By Corey raftery __ Contributor

Last fall, Springfield College added two new club sports teams: men’s and women’s soccer.

Both teams showed some promising results, even if their records did not show it, as they faced tough competition. The men’s team faced Division I teams such as Harvard, as well as Division III teams such as Tufts, WPI, Clark, Brandeis and Merrimack. The women’s club team competed against teams from bigger schools, including Umass Amherst, the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College,

“With it being the team’s first season, we knew it would be a season of building team chemistry and finding ways to work as a unit,”

said men’s club soccer team President Spencer Maraday. “The expectations weren’t sky high, but we had hoped for some success given the talent on the team.”

The men’s team concluded its inaugural season with a 1-5-2 record – and finished sixth in a nine-team conference. The Pride women’s club soccer finished 1-5-3 and sixth in an eightteam conference.

“After some close games, I believe our team’s record doesn’t accurately reflect the level our team played,” Maraday said. “I also believe it gives us a lot of room to improve for next season, which I have high hopes for.”

Three of the men’s five losses were by one

goal – and the goals came in the last few minutes of the game. One of the things that they struggled with through the season was scoring in the final third of the field.

“We had players who came from a wide range of different playing backgrounds and had to find a way to create systems that worked for everybody,” said Richard Aziz, a player on the men’s team. “We finished in the middle of the table, which was good for our first season, but we didn’t score many goals overall and we gave up a lot of points.”

The first season was a learning experience for the women’s team as well.

“The season went well, for the first season as a club we were definitely considered the underdogs and we were told that by some coaches,” said Caire Scammon, the women’s team’s co-captain. “Although we didn’t have a winning record for the first season ever playing together we did really well. We are in a tough division with some really skilled teams.”

There were several highlights, said Sammon.

“One highlight would be the game against the University of Vermont,” Scammon said. “They were a very skilled and physical team and they went into the game thinking it would be an easy win

but we traveled four hours and showed up to play and held our own only to lose by two goals.”

Both teams had a good first season and have a bright future ahead of them.

“Right now we’re just doing practices and hopefully a scrimmage or two for the spring season just to get some touches on the ball and keep building the bond of the team,” said women’s team co-captain Paige Dube. “We are fundraising right now and looking forward to the next fall season after a successful first season last year.”

Both the men and women played teams from with

Springfield College field hockey head coach Mia Olsen recently found herself a long distance away from Alden Street. However, this wasn’t a vacation for Olsen, as she was in Delaware to catch a showcase event highlighting recruits. While her team isn’t currently competing, the spring is a far cry from an offseason for Olsen and many other fall coaches at Springfield College.

Once the season comes to a close, there is plenty left on the agenda for coaches of various Springfield fall sports teams.

A common item on the proverbial offseason to-do-list for Olsen and her peers is recruiting. As a matter of fact, for a couple of Springfield College coaches, getting new players lined up is the focus of their offseason.

“I do a lot of tying loose ends with the season [during the

Working overtime

to place an emphasis on the players who are already on the team.

“What we try to prioritize more than anything is the kids in the program currently,” Cerasuolo said. “Those are the most important kids we have, because they’re here, they’ve committed to The Brotherhood and they want to develop.”

Cerasuolo thinks that the spring portion of the football offseason allows for more of an immersive learning experience for the players.

“We’re able to meet with the players more, be with them more and provide a quality experience [to them during spring practices],” Cerasuolo said.

offseason], but the most time-consuming offseason commitment is recruiting,” Olsen said. “The offseason is a really good opportunity to go to events and see people compete.”

Pride head women’s volleyball coach Moira Long echoes a similar sentiment with regards to how she spends her

time in the offseason.

“A majority of what I’m doing out of season with regards to my team is recruiting,” Long said.

Much like Olsen, Long has traveled as part of her recruiting work. She has been to various places to work on building up the Pride’s talent pipeline,

including Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Pennsylvania. Long and her staff also host recruits on campus and talk with them on the phone as part of this process.

For head football coach Mike Cerasuolo, recruiting is a key part of his offseason itinerary as well. But he and his staff make sure

While the coaches work on recruiting and maximizing the players already in-house, those players have work to do in their own right. A key component of this work is to get in the proper physical shape for the upcoming season.

Long has her players work with the team’s

__ Tucker PaqueTTe __ @tpaquette17

Springfield fall coaches use the offseason to recruit and sharpen their current players’ skills during the spring.

Moira Long coaching in 2019. (Photos Courtesy of Springfeld College Athletics)

strength coach three days a week, and they also take part in open gyms two days a week. They go to the Wellness Center on the days where there is not an open gym.

Men’s and women’s head cross country coach Anna Steinman, who is also an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track and field teams, likewise places an emphasis on lifting for the athletes on her team.

“The team runs indoor and outdoor track, and lifts all year round with different phases of training depending on the time of the year,”

Steinman said. Culture and team-building is an integral part of the offseason for sports teams at Springfield College.

Long has her team take part in various activities in this realm, as she holds leadership meetings with her players over the course of the offseason in addition to regularly meeting with her assistant coaching staff to discuss the team’s spring season.

Furthermore, the women’s volleyball team did several clinics with the Boys and Girls Club, and is doing clinics for

the Special Olympics, as well.

The football team also does work with the community during the offseason, in addition to strength and conditioning training and growing players’ leadership skills.

Cerasuolo believes this wide variety of activities will be beneficial for his team’s players as they continue to develop at Springfield College.

“We’re not necessarily looking to keep them busy, we’re looking to add value to their experience,” Cerasuolo said.

year later, in 1976, to play for Team America.

Quaraishi credits some of this to his mentality. “Peter was never fazed by the reputation of other big names. He would just go out and do the job he was meant to do,” Quaraishi said. “He was not flashy, but he was incredibly skillful – and a team player.”

Chandler was picked for a select team from the NASL that featured the league’s top players. There was a week’s

pause in the regular season just for the event.

“I got to play with and talk to Bobby Moore, Pelé and more,” Chandler said. “I would just go out there and play my best.”

Wrapping up his professional career due to two leg breaks –one of which required plates and screws in his leg – Chandler went on to coach soccer for 32 some years.

He coached at private and public schools:

“I used every single kid,” Chandler said.

“For some, it was their first time ever kicking a soccer ball.”

Chandler headed a couple of state championships at Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette, Colorado.

“There was a lot of respect from the kids because I was a former player,” Chandler said.

To date, Quaraishi wants people to know how respectable and well-rounded Chandler has set out to be.

“I will say he is one of the most devoted people I know,” Quaraishi said. “He lives his

faith in the way he treats people – he is an incredibly loyal friend, and one of the nicest people I know – I cannot say enough good things about him, he is one of my favorite people.”

Through all Chandler’s years, his biggest advice was, “Have a humble spirit of wanting to be a coachable athlete.”

In more recent years, Chandler not only got inducted into his high school’s hall of fame. And now, Chandler is a part of

the 2023 Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Chandler is set to return to Alden Street this month for the first time since 1975 to be honored for all that he has accomplished.

“He represented himself and the college by playing at the highest level,” Quaraishi said. “Not many people can lay claim to that. It is an honor not only to him, but also to Springfield.”

Cerasuolo coaching at preseason in 2022 (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

Chandler continued from Page 12

Sports

No Offseason

Springfield fall coaches stay busy beyond the months of competition, whether they are recruiting or organizing spring season for current players.

[See page 14]

The Springfield Student

(Photos Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)