Jan. 23, 2002
Focus
Page 11
Behind the game: Class travels to
experience the history of women’s sports
Kristin Simonetti
Reporter
Few Elon students can claim
that they stood on the hallowed
ground of the basketball court at
Thompson-Boling Arena. In fact,
even less probably know actually
what Thompson-Boling Arena is,
where it is located and why it is in
any way significant to
the average American.
Ten Elon students could
tell you.
As part of “The His
tory of Women in Sport,”
the Winter Term class
created and led by Elon
head volleyball coach
Sue Leonard, traveled to
Knoxville, Tenn., during
the beginning days of se
mester to learn about the
history of women’s bas
ketball and its modern-
day heroes.
This is the third year
Leonard has taught this
course. In past years, the
class taken a five-day trip
to the Women’s Basket
ball Hall of Fame, the
Basketball Hall of Fame
and the Baseball Hall of
Fame in Cooperstown,
N.Y.
Forced to plan a
shorter trip, Leonard
chose Knoxville as the
destination for this year’s
class.
“Women’s basketball
really had so much more
relevance to this class,”
Leonard said. “And it’s
close.”
Arriving early in the
afternoon Jan. 8, students had the
opportunity to tour the three-year-
old Women’s Basketball Hall of
Fame in downtown Knoxville.
From the pseudo-locker room,
■where guests can watch the great
est women’s basketball coaches
give halftime speeches, to the ring
of fame, featuring over 50 en
shrined jerseys.
The museum lived up to its bill
ing as one of the most interactive
in the nation. But the student’s fa
vorite area of the museum had to
be the downstairs playground,
where they shot hoops on a real
“basket,” a modern basket and
practiced drills.
“It’s a museum completely de
voted to women’s basketball,” class
member Sarah Farley said. “It’s
special because of that.”
That evening the students ar-
Photo courtesy of Kelli Sharpe
The class travelled to the Women’s Basketball Hall
of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. Pictured above are Sa
rah Farley, Katie Newby, M.K. Spear, Ashley Simms,
Erin Flynn, Jennifer Hildebrand, Kristin Simonetti,
Gillian Stagg, Ashley Staff and Kelli Sharpe.
rived at Thompson-Boling Arena,
home to the six-time national cham
pion University of Tennessee Lady
Volunteers. Leonard said it was im
portant for the students to visit this
national symbol of women’s basket
ball triumph. “To see a top, premier
basketball team and see what they
do is very relevant to this class,” she
said. “It’s so impressive.”
The Lady Volunteers soundly
defeated the Old Dominion Lady
Monarchs with the aid of team stars
Michelle Snow and Kara Lawson,
as well as the team’s legendary
coach Pat Head Summitt. Follow
ing the game, students had the op
portunity to go on the court and
meet a few of the players.
Leonard’s students thoroughly en
joyed the experience.
“It was impressive how many
people were there, considering it
was a women’s game,”
Erin Flynn said. “It’s
starting to be considered
seriously. You can see
how women’s sports are
advancing.”
The following morn
ing, they had an oppor
tunity few can claim to
have: the privilege of a
tour of the Lady Volun
teers’ locker room. “The
coolest thing was the tra
dition pole,” Flynn said,
referring to a large pad
ded cylinder adorned
with the UT Lady Vols
logo and signed by all the
graduated members of
the Lady Vols.
Underclassmen are not
permitted to touch the
pole until graduation,
and they face conse
quences at the hands of
Coach Summitt upon in
fringement. From the oak
lockers, spacious showers
and fully-stocked Coca-
Cola fridge to the pool
table, leather couch, big-
screen TV and glimmer
ing trophy cases, the Lady
Volunteers enjoy all the
spoils of their victories.
Students explored the
court and athletic center,
meeting and talking with Lawson
in the process. The trip proved an
enjoyable and educational experi
ence for the students, who re
turned to Elon with stories and
pictures to share that afternoon.
The trip to Knoxville will be
unforgettable to many students
in the class, and made many re
alize the strength of character
women in sports possess. “It was
the highlight [of the class],”
Flynn said.
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