MONTREAT
COLLEGE
Volume XXIX, Number 10
ALETHEIA
Montreat College
January 31,1997
Garvilla Headed for Milligan
By Lisa Griffin
John Garvilla, who has headed up
both the men’s and women’s soccer
teams for the past two seasons, has re
signed. Athletic Director Steve
McNamara received Garvilla’s resigna
tion Wednesday morning, January 15 to
be effective Febuary 14, 1997.
Garvilla has opted to leave Montreat
and start a woman’s soccer program at
Milligan College, out of Johnson
City, Tennessee. The reason
for his resignation is unknown.
It came as a surprise to
most of the players. Three
year soccer veteran Alan Hines
voiced his concerns, “It will
take a couple of months to find
a new coach, which will hurt
recruiting. I think that most of
the current players will return,
but new recruits will be needed
to fill some positions. It could
make for a tough senior sea
son.’’
Women’s team member
Erin Delamar commented, “I
understand why, but he kind of left the
freshmen and the [rising] seniors hang
ing.” Stephanie Shaw stated simply, “It
was best for the program.”
The players question who will now
assume the coaching responsibilities.
Junior Steve Saveli said, “The team is
just waiting. We’ve been playing pick
up games, just trying to stick together
until we find out what is going to hap-
Montreat experienced a winter wonderland while
students were awav over Christmas break.
Intramural Athletes Reap the
Rewards of Good Sportsmanship
By Jamie Pate
Becky Bonner, Intramurals Direc
tor, announced in a memo last week that
because of the excellent show of sports
manship by the student athletes, there
will be another basketball league forthe
spring semester. All participants have
been invited back to participate in the
event, e.xcept for the team that went by
the name of the Fossils. This team was
constructed of the faculty and staff at
Montreat.
In the past, the basketball
intramurals were plagued by unsports
manlike behavior by the student partici
pants. Ironically, this year it was not the
students at all, it was the faculty who
took the competitive spirit of the moment
a little too far. Ed Bonner, captain of the
faculty team, expressed that he was “em
barrassed and ashamed of some of the
behaviors in some of the games.” He
went on to say that he “understands how
the competitive fire burns strongly in
some people and admires the students
cant on page 4...
pen. The team will get through this, we’ll
be all right.”
According to McNamara, a search
committee has been formed and the job
opening has been posted on the Internet.
McNamara stated, “The college is com
mitted to finding the best candidate and
doing so in a timely manner.”
John Sullivan, a member of the
search committee, echoed Saveli’s con
fidence, “We are pressing
ahead, the program will con
tinue.
No decision has been
made as to whether there will
be a coach for each program,
or if one coach will again be
responsible for both teams.
McNamara expressed,
“The committee is attempting
to look at all options and make
the best decision from that.”
He explained that the players
will have the opportunity to
have representatives from both
teams, possibly team captains,
present during the screening of
applicants so they can have direct input
on potential coaches.
Garvilla leaves with the following
words: “In all my years of coaching, I
have never been associated with a finer
group of young men and women as this
year’s teams. My wife and J.J.and I can
leave Montreat saying we were blessed
to have had the opportunity to coach
them.”
As for next season’s schedule,
McNamara assures players that a full
schedule will be played, in fact, the
schedule is near completion now.
Players are encouraged and have
already been notified in writing to direct
any questions or concerns to Coach
McNamara.