Muhlenberg senior softball player Erica Wenzel writes about a recent conference she attended.

A few weekends ago, Coach Ally Boertzel, Kayleigh Thies and I drove down to Ursinus College to attend the Snell-Shillingford Coaching Symposium. Kaitlyn McCaffrey was able to join us on the last day. Student athletes and coaches from the Centennial Conference attended the symposium, and we all had one thing in common (besides being athletes): we were all female.

This symposium was founded for female athletes to learn about the history of women in sports, and provide resources to help them continue to work professionally, for example, through coaching or administrative work.

After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we took a bus over to Ursinus and jumped right into the weekend. There were many presentations throughout the weekend, but I am just going to highlight a few.

The first presentation, Leading with Personality, presented by Coach DeMarco from Bryn Mawr College, was very interactive and fun. We learned more about ourselves and how other people perceive us. By learning about the different personalities, we also learn how to communicate and work with people of different personalities.

The Many Hats of Coaching was presented by Coach Cantele from Gettysburg College and our own Coach Stuckel. This presentation talked about all the different roles that coaches play. There were 15 different hats (or roles)! Some of the hats that surprised me were the artist hat, travel agent hat, lawyer hat, social director hat and jester hat. It was fun to see both coaches dress up and wear all these different hats.

There were also a couple presentations on Title IX (Understanding Title IX and Its History, and The Status of Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics as Title IX Turns 40) which I found very interesting, mainly because I didn’t know that much before. Did you know that Title IX was actually created because women were discriminated against at higher level institutions, whether getting into graduate school, or becoming a tenured professor?

The conference was empowering and provided a lot of resources for our futures. It gave us the tools to pursue our future in athletics and opened my eyes to many different opportunities and things to think about when I become a coach. I would highly recommend this opportunity for any female athlete who is interested in coaching!

“Don’t focus on winning: focus on a culture of success.”

Mike Krzyzewski, coach of the Duke men’s basketball team and former coach of the United States national basketball team, shared this wisdom with more than 200,000 people at Chick-fil-A Leadercast 2013. Coach K was among nine speakers who spoke to us about being an effective leader. These speakers ranged from former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Jack Welch, the CEO of General Electric, to Sanya Richards-Ross, an Olympic gold medalist. The theme of the day was “Simply Lead.” Every speaker’s lecture focused on the concept of leading simply, whether it was in the boardroom or on the field.

Leiutenant Commander Rorke Denver, a Navy SEAL, was one of my favorite speakers of the day. He taught us that as leaders, people at a minimum are going to imitate you, if not amplify it. Therefore, he reasoned that enthusiasm is contagious. He showed us that every person has a little reserve and can give just a little bit more – it’s just up to leaders to motivate others to tap this reserve.

My other favorite speaker of the day was Coach K, because what he talked about applied most directly to my role as a team captain. When Coach K meets with his team for the first time, he has all the players set standards for that season. Two of the most important standards they set are good communication and trust: make eye contact when speaking and take headphones out when speaking,and never lie to eliminate hidden agendas. A team should always have each other’s backs and respect each other. Coach K taught us that these standards are important, but the most important aspect of creating a successful team and being an effective leader is facilitating this conversation to set team standards.

The other representatives from Muhlenberg athletic teams as well as myself had a very positive experience at the Chick-fil-A Leadercast 2013 and gathered many tools to be better captains on our respective teams. We look forward to returning to our teams next semester to implement our newly acquired leadership skills.

Devon Barber, a senior field hockey and softball player at Muhlenberg, writes about a special event on campus last weekend.

Female coaches, mentors, and student-athletes from the Centennial Conference arrived at Muhlenberg this past Friday night for the Snell-Shillingford Coaching Symposium. The symposium is designed to educate young female athletes on the history of women in sports, acknowledge the importance of their accomplishments thus far, and empower them to continue their work professionally, whether that entails becoming a coach, administrator, or simply an advocate for the continuation of women’s athletics in our own communities.

Most of the athletes stayed in a hotel close by, but Alexandra Franck, Alex Bellini, Katy Mitton and I had the luxury of strolling into the first night with confidence in knowing that “Haas” is not an indication of a person excessively exhaling, and “Ettinger” [a building on campus] and “Eddinger” [head field hockey coach Megan] are indeed of different substance. After congregating for a quick introductory meal, we moved to the Friedman Family Conference room where the presentations began.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the presentations we experienced this weekend:

“Many Hats of Coaching:” Communicated by Muhlenberg’s own Alexa Keckler (head volleyball coach), athletes were educated on the different roles they will play if they are to become coaches, including specific advice associated with each role. The purpose was not to scare female athletes away from the profession, but rather prepare them for the many positions they will be asked to fill.

Did you know that female coaches are not only coaches, but they’re motivators, counselors, referees, artists, drill sergeants, mentors, P.R. extraordinaires, social directors, travel agents, lawyers, managers, fundraisers, jesters and humans all at the same time!? Whose head is spinning?

“Understanding Title IX and Its History:” This presentation was given by Amy Wilson, an individual who has worked closely with nationally recognized Title IX expert Dr. Christine Grant on gender equity issues in intercollegiate sport. Title IX, as most people know, is a law that was passed in 1972 by President Nixon, which states that “no person in the United States, shall on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Although seemingly straightforward, Wilson reminds us that there are many little-known socio-historical factors that led up to the passage of this law and the history of its enforcement was a long, rollercoaster of a process. Yet today, Title IX is recognized as the source that changed the history of sports forever and allowed women to be relatively on the same playing field as men in athletics (no pun intended).

“Developing Your Coaching Philosophy:” As one of the last we experienced, this presentation allowed us to delve into our own values in order to determine what kind of coaches, administrators, mentors or advocates we are/may be in the future. The first step in developing a coaching philosophy, we learned, is to get to know ourselves: what rules do you live by? What can you control and what can’t you control? What coaches have shaped you and how?

Next, we learned that we should take a look into our objectives: why do you want to coach? What makes a good coach? What is your definition of success? Lastly, we had to get to know our context: What level do you want to coach? What position do you want to hold? What are the aims and philosophies of your school/conference organization? With the answers to these questions, student-athletes were able to have a better understanding of their own hopes and beliefs, which in turn, facilitates the development of a solid, personal coaching philosophy.

All in all, the experience was one that not only informed me about the steps it takes in potentially becoming a great coach, but also the steps it takes into becoming a better athlete and person. It was great to move off the field and meet people from our conference that may be opponents during the season, but are fun and interesting athletes who are strikingly similar to me (emphasis on the fun, if that’s the case).

I greatly appreciated the coaches and mentors for taking the time out to inform us/entertain us/cater to our cuisine-based needs throughout the entire weekend. I think Alexandra, Alex and Katy would agree with me in promoting this symposium to Muhlenberg female athletes for next year. If sports are a big part of your life, like mine, the benefits you can receive from this symposium are beyond what you could even imagine.

Think about it! If knowledge is power and influence is a snowball, this symposium can pump out a pretty awesome snow-based super-crew of talented, and well-informed, female coaches. But I digress …

Goals scored by Cody, three-pointers by Chili

Moves by Malique making defenders look silly

Women’s soccer defense a playoff berth brings

These are a few of our favorite things

Basketball in Puerto Rico, men’s soccer in Spain

A game-winning touchdown on a field goal feign

Rice sprinting fast and getting more bling

These are a few of our favorite things

Field hockey beating national finalist Montclair

Academic laurels for DeAngelis and Baer

The women’s hoops team bringing home one more ring

These are a few of our favorite things

When the Bears win

When the Dips score

When the losses add

We simply remember our favorite things

And then we don’t feel so bad

Duke’s hundredth win and Gimbar’s record sacks

All-region middie Umbach in women’s lax

Liddic becoming the CC rebounding king

These are a few of our favorite things

Rispoli winning faceoffs and Mayden winning races

Mules reading books bringing smiles to kids’ faces

Kline hitting home runs with powerful swings

These are a few of our favorite things

All-conference v-ball freshmen Kaser and Boll

Baseball starting on a 9-1 roll

Bauer’s javelin flying on gold-medal wings

These are a few of our favorite things

When the Fords win

When the Blue Jays score

When the refs make us mad

We simply remember our favorite things.

And then we don’t feel so bad

So long, farewell, auf Weidersehen, goodbye. We’ll be back in 2013 to bring you more of your favorite Mule things!!

But it wouldn’t be Division III without the student-athletes. So we asked a few Muhlenberg athletes what Division III meant to them.

Brian Beck, Baseball

What playing in Division III means to me is the ability for experiences and opportunities off the field. Although throughout the year, dedication and focus for the upcoming season is key in my mind, Division III allows me the opportunity for other focuses as well. Whether it is from an engaging academic environment or the ability to pursue things such as internships during the year, Division III allows for opportunities both on and off the field, which is what you want as a student athlete.

Alyssa Meola, Women’s Soccer

Being a Division III athlete means being able to excel in academics and athletics. The great thing about playing at Muhlenberg is that I can be fully invested in soccer, as well as academics, clubs and other organizations on campus. Besides being able to participate in a variety of different activities, I love that as a Division III athlete, I’m playing with other athletes who still play because they love the game. None of us have athletic scholarships, and most of us will never get drafted to play professionally. But, we continue to play for our love of the game, which I find to be humbling. It’s exciting to look around the field, and see that you’re playing a game with all your best friends, who are working hard for each other.

We play Division III because we have flexibility to pursue other activities, and because we love the game, and need it in our lives because it is such a strong part of who we are, and most of us could not live without it.

Danny Way, Men’s Soccer

I chose to play DIII after seeing what my sister went through playing at the DI level. I wanted to go to a small school that had good education, but was also very competitive with athletics. DI programs make playing a sport your job, and I wanted to have a life outside of sports. What made DIII appealing to me is that I could do other things and still have time to focus on school.

In celebration of the NCAA’s inaugural Division III Week, we’re looking at the Division III experience from several different perspectives.

Yesterday, mathematics/computer science professor Michael Huber gave a faculty perspective.

Today’s guest writer is Marisa DeStasio, head coach of the Muhlenberg softball team. DeStasio is in her second season with the Mules; in her first, she coached the team to the Centennial Conference championship. Like Dr. Huber, who taught at Army before coming to Muhlenberg, DeStasio has a Division I background.

It is August and finally sunny in the southern tier of New York. Although it is a warm day, the sweat dripping down my forehead is not because of the sun. I am standing on the starting line of the track with my teammates, most of whom I barely know yet. “Go!” screamed my new coach, so I ran and I ran and I ran. I ran for an entire mile! Yes, all 5,280 feet!

I was freshman at Binghamton University and a new member of the softball team. It was the point in my life when my biggest stressor was running the timed mile. I can still feel the nervousness flowing through my body on that day. In hindsight, I realize running a mile is not a big deal and really not all that challenging, but give me a break… I was a naïve freshman.  The month and a half of our fall season had just begun and so had a new school year.

During the fall, we had practice every day with tournaments on the weekends until the end of October. Three times a week we were also required to lift with our strength coach. However, the end of the fall marked the beginning of our offseason training regimen. Monday through Friday we had either 7 a.m. conditioning or lifting sessions and then individual skill workouts with our coaches in the afternoon. We had a countdown in the locker room of when our next dreaded conditioning day was, so we could mentally prepare ourselves for sprint torture.

Over winter break we were given a lifting and conditioning workout packet. Upon our return, we would “max out” with the strength coach and once again run the dreaded mile with the goal of beating our previous time from the fall. (Thankfully, I always did.) It was comforting when spring practice finally started because all our hard work would pay off soon.

In Division I, you get the chance to travel all over the country, albeit mostly on a smelly, bumpy charter bus. Sometimes you drive sixteen hours in one weekend and live in a hotel room just to get beat up on by nationally ranked teams. Our goal every year was the same, make the America East Conference Tournament. We may have come up shy, but it did not make my experience at Binghamton any less rewarding. It was certainly not glamorous and you often ask yourself why you do it. The answer is always the same, because you love to play the sport.

After working with student-athletes at Muhlenberg for the last three years, I realize some of the similarities and differences between divisions have nothing to do with skill. This campus has shown me the true meaning of “student-athlete.”

Being a Division I athlete is like having a job, with little time for anything else other than classes and your sport. At the time, I was not interested in expanding my horizons beyond softball and certainly could not fathom life after Binghamton. I should have been more focused on my future.

This cannot be said for the student-athletes at Muhlenberg. Everyone here is committed to success both in academics and athletics. And from what I can tell, it comes from pure self-motivation. They work extremely hard in the classroom and then on the field, while also striving to make a difference in the community. They wake up early for practice, they sprint just as hard, they are just as competitive, and they hate running the mile just as much as I did. The bottom line is they want to win.

In the end, it does not matter what division you play because the ultimate goal is an education. A mile is still 5,280 feet, and we all play for love of the sport.

The NCAA has designated April 9-15 the inaugural Division III week. The week celebrates the unique Division III student-athlete experience, which offers a highly competitive athletics environment, a commitment to academic excellence and time to pursue other interests.

We will look at the Division III experience from three different perspectives this week in The MuhlBox. The first comes from Michael Huber, an associate professor in Muhlenberg’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

It’s time to come clean. I like sports. Not specifically one sport, but just about all sports. I am also a member of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. 

Sometimes it appears that the two groups (sports fan and faculty member) are not compatible, but in reality, the intersection of the two groups is the set of students we have.

Before I arrived at Muhlenberg, I taught for nine years at the United States Military Academy. I was also an Officer Representative to the Army baseball team. An “OR” is a fancy term for a faculty member who was part of the administrative group supporting a specific team. Our mission was to be at every game in the dugout, to support the team as a role model, but never to coach. To root for the guys on the squad but also to assist them academically (and it seemed that some Army baseball players always needed help with mathematics). I got to know the players really well, as I was usually in the dugout or in the stands for most of those games, including spring break trips to Florida and away trips to other Patriot League schools.

Now, at Muhlenberg, I am the faculty liaison for our volleyball team. We created the faculty liaison program a few years ago to connect faculty members with specific sports programs. Some of my math colleagues are faculty liaisons to our women’s basketball team. Again, my role is to be a fan. I attend many home games, but I have also traveled to away trips, including a five-day trip to Texas, but usually to Centennial Conference opponents. I have given exams to students in the hotel conference room when the players missed a biology or calculus exam back in Allentown. Academics is a priority for our sports programs.

The Division III athletes we have at Muhlenberg are just as competitive as the D-I athletes at West Point, in that they are passionate about their sports, practice hard, try to successfully balance academics with intercollegiate sports, and have an unwavering loyalty to their coach and teammates. 

The level of competition might be different between the two divisions, but the drive to succeed is just as fierce. 

I was fortunate to get to know several Army players who were selected in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft each June. These young men were able to play professional baseball before serving our country as leaders in the U.S. Army.

At Muhlenberg, I have also been fortunate to know several young women who, as the NCAA commercial tells us, “will go pro in something other than sports.” These ladies are leaders on and off the court. They are peer tutors for the Academic Resource Center, earning secondary education certificates in addition to their majors, studying abroad to enrich their lifelong learning, and receiving accolades for being on the Dean’s List. I see them around campus all the time. Although they will probably not be professional or Olympic volleyball stars, they will still be successful after graduation.   

Students want us to get involved. I honestly believe that they appreciate seeing us in the stands or mentioning their names in connection with being on the ‘Berg webpage when they come to class. I like to take copies of our school newspaper and give it to my students who adorn the back page of the Sports section. I usually tell them to “send it home to Grandma,” but it means a great deal to them to be recognized, not only by the school, but by a teacher in class. Further, the Athletic Department at Muhlenberg tracks each student-athlete and is in communication with the faculty, to ensure that academics remains a priority for all students.

As a parent, I tried to attend as many of my daughter’s high school lacrosse or volleyball games as possible; most parents do as well. As students go away to colleges that are not close to home, their folks are not always able to be in the stands. That’s where faculty members can play crucial roles. Go to a game or match to cheer for students in your class. Yell out a player’s name when she blocks a shot or hits a winner down the line.  Wear your “Go Berg” spirit gear to class before Homecoming. 

At Muhlenberg, we have a Guest Coach program, where players ask coaches to invite their teachers to be on the bench during a match or game. I was the guest coach for a softball game three years ago when our pitcher no-hit Gettysburg College’s softball team. I was as excited as the Mule players, and my enthusiasm for their performance showed my genuine support for them. 

I try to attend as many athletic events as possible, and I encourage other members of the faculty to support our players. Go Mules!

Muhlenberg assistant athletic trainer and resident poet Lindsay Weiss pays tribute to the winter sports (which start up again on January 4) with this ode. Happy Holidays!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the Mules athletes yelling
And everyone telling you “Win with no fear”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year

It’s the hap-happiest season of all
With those track and field greetings and wrestling meetings
And ballers so tall
It’s the hap-happiest season of all

There’ll be Blue Jays for hosting
Green Terrors for roasting
And Diplomats shooting free throws
There’ll be scary Bullet stories
And tales of the glories of
Conference play long, long ago

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be much points a scoring
And takedowns not boring
When ‘Berg fans are near
It’s the most wonderful time of the year

There’ll be cool dunks for boasting
Timed races for coasting
And pole vaulting high instead of low
There’ll be win pinning stories
And high jumping glories of
Conference play long, long ago

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be spectators coming
For plays that are stunning
When ‘Berg fans are near
It’s the most wonderful time
It’s the most wonderful time
It’s the most wonderful time
It’s the most wonderful time of the Muhlenberg year

Twelve years ago I was dissecting frogs with middle school students, today I am being named the next Director of Athletics at Muhlenberg College?

At the time I was teaching biology while coaching football and baseball at Wyoming Seminary. One of our senior football players, Clem Gover, was already on his way to Muhlenberg when I agreed to join Mike Donnelly’s staff as an assistant football coach. I remember thinking Clem would probably spend more time at Muhlenberg than I would.

Corey Goff with quarterback Justin Jones in 2001. In 2002, with Goff serving as offensive coordinator, Jones was the Centennial Conference player of the year.

My stop in Allentown would be brief because I was on my way up the coaching ladder quickly. Lauren and I lived in Philadelphia for the first two years of our marriage in part because I would not be here long enough to justify moving to Allentown. Muhlenberg would just be another line on my resume, or so I thought …

In recent years, when recruits ask me if I will remain at Muhlenberg for their entire career, I can’t help but think about Clem Gover.

I usually make light of the question by saying “if Stanford or Notre Dame were to call and offer me a job I guess I would have to listen.” I go on to explain how rewarding it is to work in a community that recognizes and values the positive role athletics can play in the small college experience. I reference the success several of our teams have had recently on the national stage and share my belief that each of our teams can experience that level of achievement athletically.

I look back now and realize how lucky we (my family and I) are that opportunity didn’t knock too loudly during those times when I thought the grass might have been greener …

After graduating from Muhlenberg in 2004, Clem Gover served our nation as a Captain in the United States Army and has since become a very successful financial advisor for Wells Fargo in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Coincidentally, he is married to a college classmate of mine.

Go Mules!

S.A.M. sold “Think Pink” t-shirts, and the field hockey team sold wristbands and took donations during its “Think Pink” game in October. All told, they raised $870 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

They recently posed for a picture with a check in Parents Plaza.

“We wanted to try to do our part to help out, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped out by either buying a shirt or making a donation,” S.A.M. president and Mule volleyball player Jackie Price said. “Almost everyone has been affected by breast cancer in some way, and this was our way of trying to help.”