Commodore Nation, March 2012 by Vanderbilt Commodores

March 2012

TITLE IX at

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table of contents

2 Compliance Corner Crossword challenge 5 National Commodore Club VU-UT women’s game; tax implications 7 More from McGugin By the numbers 8 My Game Senior bowler Brittni Hamilton

11 40th Anniversary of Title IX Women’s athletics excels at VU 3 Spotlight on Administration 1 Assoc. Vice Chancellor Patricia Marett 15 My Turn

Rod Williamson’s monthly column

17 Brains and Basketball Men’s basketball excels academically

19 Football’s 2012 Recruits Franklin signs 21 to impressive class 21 Four Things with... Sports psychologist Vickie Woosley 23 David Williams Q&A Vice chancellor on Title IX

24 Last Shots February madness in Memorial To submit a letter to Commodore Nation, you can e-mail: commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu or write to Commodore Nation, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. Letters should include the writer’s name and address and may be edited for clarity and space.

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COMPLIANCE

COR NER

Sam the Screamer is a huge fan of the athletic program. He sees that the university is recruiting a high-profile recruit and decides to organize a movement on Facebook and Twitter to “show some love” to the recruit and to encourage him to come to the university. Is this permissible?

No. It is impermissible for boosters or fans to create or organize a fan page or Twitter hash tag (i.e. #Dores4Prospects) in order to encourage a specific prospect to attend their school. A Facebook fan page called “State Fans Love Johnny Linebacker” is against the rules. Because the institution is held responsible for the conduct of its boosters, any such page would require the university to self-report a violation of NCAA rules and could result in the school ceasing its recruitment of the prospect.

Compliance questions? Please contact: Candice Lee George Midgett Director of Compliance Compliance Coordinator 615/322-7992 615/322-2083 candice.lee@vanderbilt.edu george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu John Peach Andrew Turner Compliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator 615/343-1060 615/322-4543 john.w.peach@vanderbilt.edu andrew.turner@vanderbilt.edu

Editorial

Publisher: Vanderbilt University Editor-in-Chief: Chris Weinman

Director of Communications: Rod Williamson

Designers: Jeremy Teaford Chris Weinman

Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner

VU Photography: Daniel Dubois Steve Green Joe Howell Jenny Mandeville Anne Rayner John Russell Susan Urmy Contributors: Brandon Barca Andy Boggs Ashley Crosby Sterling Frierson Larry Leathers George Midgett Kyle Parkinson Ryan Schulz Jennifer Stevens

Administrative

Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune

Vanderbilt University’s Mission, Goals and Values Vanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts. In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry, and equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors. Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action university. ON THE COVER: Wendy Scholtens (40) with a number of other female student-athletes through the years. Images by Vanderbilt Photography. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe, contact Chris Weinman by e-mail at commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt IMG Sports & Entertainment Properties. Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; jeff.miller@imgworld.com

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MARCH 2012

Secure your spot to join the Vanderbilt Football tailgating fun for the 2012 Commodore football season. To receive priority football parking in Lots 1, 1A, 2, 3, and 4, a donation to the National Commodore Club is required at the levels listed above. You must have an NCC-issued parking pass to park in these lots on football game days. One parking pass will be issued per NCC membership. All parking passes will be mailed in August. Individuals with disabled placards should call 615.322.4114.

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To renew or join the NCC, visit NationalCommodoreClub.com or call 615.322.4114.

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q I would like to support the National Commodore Club with an unrestricted gift of $__________. By making your gift by May 31, 2012, you will enjoy NCC benefits during the 2012–13 academic year. q I would like to support the National Commodore Club with an unrestricted gift of $__________. Most recentyour gift gift amount to the Next Levelduring challenge amount $____________ By making by May 31,NCC: 2012,$____________ you will enjoy NCC benefits the 2012–13 academic year. Most recent(Please gift amount to the NCC: $____________ Next below.) 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Chief $150–$249 q Captain Commander $1,000–$2,999 q $3,000–$5,999 q Chief $100–$149 q Commander $1,000–$2,999 q I would like to make a restricted gift to the following sport(s) or area(s) of $__________: q Baseball (Bullpen Club) $________ q Golf (Women) $________ q I would like to make a restricted gift to the following sport(s) or area(s) of $__________: q Basketball (Men) $________ q Lacrosse $________ q Baseball (Bullpen Club) $________ q Golf (Women) $________ q Basketball (Women) $________ q Soccer $________ q Basketball (Men) $________ q Lacrosse $________ q Bowling $________ q Swimming $________ q Basketball (Women) $________ q Soccer $________ q Cross Country (Men) $________ q Tennis (Men) $________ q Bowling $________ q Swimming $________ q Football (Gridiron Club) $________ q Tennis (Women) $________ q Cross Country (Men) $________ q Tennis (Men) $________ q Golf (Men) $________ q Track & Cross Country (Women) $________ q Football (Gridiron Club) $________ q Tennis (Women) $________ q Other _______________________________________________________________ $________ q Golf (Men) $________ q Track & Cross Country (Women) $________ q Other _______________________________________________________________ $________ q Check: Make payable to Vanderbilt University and designate your gift to the NCC in the memo line. q Check: Credit card: q Visa toqVanderbilt MasterCard q American Expressyour q gift Discover q Make payable University and designate to the NCC in the memo line. q One-time charge ($_____________) q Monthly payment ($_____________ for _____ months) q Credit card: q Visa q MasterCard q American Express q Discover Card number: ____________________________________________ Exp. date: _________________ q One-time charge ($_____________) q Monthly payment ($_____________ for _____ months) Card number: holder’s ____________________________________________ name: _________________________________________________________________ Card Exp. date: _________________ q Card Stockholder’s transfer:name: Contact Janelle Wilson at (615) 322-4987 or stockgifts@vanderbilt.edu. _________________________________________________________________ q Stock I havetransfer: includedContact Vanderbilt in my estateatplans. q Janelle Wilson (615) 322-4987 or stockgifts@vanderbilt.edu. q Please send me information about including q I have included Vanderbilt in my estate plans.Vanderbilt in my estate plans. Matching gift provided by (company name) ________________________________________________ . q Please send me information about including Vanderbilt in my estate plans. You may also yourbygift online atname) www.NationalCommodoreClub.com. Matching gift make provided (company ________________________________________________ . You may also make your gift online at www.NationalCommodoreClub.com. Name: ________________________________________ NCC member number: __________________ Address (q Home q Business): ________________________________________________________ Name: ________________________________________ NCC member number: __________________ City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________________________________ Address (q Home q Business): ________________________________________________________ Email: __________________________________ Home phone: ________________________________ City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________________________________ Work phone: _____________________________ Cell phone: Email: __________________________________ Home phone:_________________________________ ________________________________ Work phone: _____________________________ Cell phone: _________________________________ Signature (required): ____________________________________________ Date: ________________ Signature (required): ____________________________________________ Date: ________________

q I wish to decline all tangible benefits associated with this gift (including parking, seating, SEC tournament tickets, etc.). q I wish to decline University, all tangibleGift benefits associated with this gift (including parking, seating, SEC Mail to: Vanderbilt Processing, PMB 407727, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TNtournament 37240-7727tickets, etc.). Questions regarding your gift? Contact the Gift Processing Office at (615) 322-2979. Mail to: Vanderbilt University, Gift Processing, PMB 407727, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240-7727 Questions gift?your Contact the Gift Processing Office at (615) 322-2979. Thank youregarding for your your gift and commitment to Vanderbilt. Every gift in every amount makes a lasting impact. *T12N99999999999* Thank you for your gift and your commitment to Vanderbilt. Every gift in every amount makes a lasting impact. *T12N99999999999* 4 MARCH 2012

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PHONE: 615/322-4114 • ONLINE: NationalCommodoreClub.com TENNESSEE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREGAME RECEPTION – FEB. 9, 2012

NCC members Barbara (’69) and Dick Davis (’69)

NCC members Gail and Robert Davis (’73) with Vanderbilt faculty and NCC members Dr. Virginia Shepherd and Charles Brau

I am preparing to file my taxes for this year. Is my NCC contribution tax-deductible?

NCC members Gloria (’67) and Ted LaRoche (’70) with NCC Executive Director Mark Carter (center)

NCC 101

Your NCC membership entitles you to certain benefits, which include parking passes, the right to buy tickets, and Commodore Nation magazine. The value of these benefits will reduce the tax credit of your NCC gift, in accordance with federal tax regulations. If you wish to receive full tax credit for your gift, please indicate that you are declining NCC benefits (and please note that by declining, you will not receive parking passes, the right to buy tickets, or Commodore Nation).

MAY 31 RENEWAL DEADLINE To retain your parking and seating benefits, remember to renew your NCC membership in full by May 31. Renew online at NationalCommodoreClub.com today.

NCC member Nancy Gentry (’73) and Vicky Feinstein

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MARCH 2012

More from McGugin

By The

NUMBERS

Drew Maddux named VU’s “SEC Legend”

ormer Vanderbilt standout Drew Maddux was announced as Vanderbilt’s Allstate® Basketball Legend, one of 12 former players from all SEC schools that will be honored at the 2012 SEC Tournament in New Orleans, in an announcement by the SEC last month. Maddux, who played at Vanderbilt from 1995 to 1998, was a third-generation Commodore basketball player who finished his outstanding career ranked among the school’s all-time leading scorers. He still ranks seventh among the all-time Vanderbilt scorers with 1,689 points. Drew was a first-team all-SEC guard in 1998, the same year he earned SEC all-academic honors. Maddux also ranks among the school’s Top 10 in assists, three-point field goals and field goal percentage. He is now a highly successful high school coach in the Nashville area. The complete 2012 class includes Jack Kubiszyn, Alabama; Nolan Richardson, Arkansas; Chris Morris, Auburn; Mike Miller, Florida; Willie Anderson, Georgia; Adrian “Odie” Smith, Kentucky; Jack Waters, Ole Miss; Chuck Evans, Mississippi State; Henry

VU PHOTOGRAPHY

goals allowed by the Vanderbilt lacrosse team in its season-opening win over No. 5 Duke after the Blue Devils had combined to score 43 goals in their first two games.

Drew Maddux

Martin, South Carolina; Gene Tormohlen, Tennessee; Drew Maddux, Vanderbilt. Each SEC Basketball Legend will be recognized at halftime of his institution’s first game at the tournament. Highlighting the schedule of events at the Sunkist Soda SEC FanFare will be appearances by selected legends. This marks the 14th year of the SEC Basketball Legends program.

Carolyn Peck honored as “SEC Great”

VU PHOTOGRAPHY

ormer Vanderbilt women’s basketball player Carolyn Peck will be honored alongside 11 other female athletes representing the 12 SEC member institutions as an SEC Great. The SEC Greats program, now in its 12th year, will honor the 12 former studentathletes during the 2012 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, March 1-4 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Caroline Peck

Peck finished her career with 1,240 points, which was sixth in program history at the time of her graduation and now ranks 21st. She helped Vanderbilt to its first NCAA Tournament bid in 1986, averaging 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds during her sophomore campaign. Along with Peck, the 2012 class includes Kelly Kretschman, Alabama (Softball); Sytia Messer, Arkansas (Basketball); Laticia Morris, Auburn (Basketball); Cassie Macia, Florida (Basketball); Camille Lowe, Georgia (Basketball); Valerie McGovern Young, Kentucky (Track); Yvette Girouard, LSU (Softball); Yolanda Moore, Ole Miss (Basketball); Iyhia McMichael, Mississippi State (Softball); Jocelyn Penn, South Carolina (Basketball) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (Basketball). Each honoree will be honored during halftime of their team’s first game of the tournament. All 12 individuals also will be honored as a group between games of the second session on Friday, March 2. The Greats will then participate in an autograph session on the concourse before game eight. Complimentary posters of the Greats will be available at the session.

anderbilt athletic officials have decided to put its Athletic Hall of Fame Weekend on an every-other-year basis, meaning the next induction will occur in 2013. VU has enshrined four classes totaling 40 inductees since 2008. Nominations for the fifth Hall of Fame Class will open approximately January 2013.

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television appearances in the 2012 regular season for Coach Tim Corbin’s baseball squad, including road games at Florida, Tennessee and LSU.

consecutive strikes thrown by bowler Brittni Hamilton for Vanderbilt’s first 300 game— marking the fourth time Hamilton has achieved perfection on the lanes.

points for the women’s basketball team in its Feb. 9 win over No. 11 Tennessee—a record for VU in the rivalry that has included 66 meetings.

1,685

combined pounds for the six offensive linemen who signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Vanderbilt beginning this fall—an average of more than 280 pounds per player.

28,306

undergraduate applications received by Vanderbilt University for the fall 2012 semester—a record number, up 15 percent from the previous year.

58,218

page impressions on Feb. 1 for VU’s National Signing Day website— the ninth-highest total among all CBS-hosted sites.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

My Game Brittni Hamilton grew up on the lanes of the Rochester, N.Y., suburb of Webster. She earned first-team All-America honors in each of her first two seasons bowling for the Commodores before being named the Female Amateur of the Year by the Bowling Writers Association last year. This month, Hamilton and her teammates will play host to their only home event of the season (March 16-18) at the Smyrna Bowling Center. On growing up around bowling: “My parents were into bowling when I was younger. My mom used to work on this bowling show back home, so I’ve been bowling since I was born. I celebrated my first birthday on that show.” On having three older brothers: “It was fun being the youngest. They all bowled when I was growing up, but they were not as serious as I was. They’re very supportive of me and they come watch me when they can, or they’re watching online if it’s live-streaming on the computer. “I do remember my brother Josh was bowling in an adult-youth league with me, and I beat him in one game. He actually used to work at the bowling center, so he knew the people working, and when I beat him they announced it over the speaker system and let everybody know that I beat him. That was pretty funny.” On rolling a 300, which she has done four times: “The first time I shot 300 was in high school, back in my sophomore year (2006). It was pretty amazing to shoot it in high school, and then to shoot one in college was even better, to have my teammates behind me like that was pretty awesome. It definitely doesn’t get old. You’re nervous every time that it happens. It was an amazing experience, and to have my team behind me was the icing on the cake.” On nerves in her first perfect game: “I really don’t remember when it was in the game that I got nervous back in high school. I threw an awful shot in the ninth frame and got lucky that it struck. I was so young, and I was so nervous. In high school, everybody stopped and they all came around the lane and were watching, so I was extremely nervous.” Black and gold shoe covers Made by Brittni’s mother, Nancy Hamilton, in numerous color combinations; the black and gold variety are earned by Commodore bowlers in practice.

On the difference this time around: “We were doing a really good job of focusing on the game. We weren’t really paying attention to the score, we were just focused on winning the match. It was the ninth frame when I realized I had the front eight. I got up for the ninth shot and I was like, ‘Wow, I could shoot 300 here.’ The ninth frame was, again, probably my worst shot of the game, but it was still pretty good. I got lucky that it carried. In the 10th frame, I just took it one shot at a time and finished it out.” n

MARCH 2012

Brittni Hamilton JOHN RUSSELL

Used for entirety of the fourth 300 game of Hamilton’s career on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Prairie View Invitational in Arlington, Texas. 15-lb. Columbia 300 Omen

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“Our objective here is to have a complete, well-rounded sports program… and that includes being competitive in women’s athletics.” — Athletic Director Bill Pace, quoted in the 1972 Commodore yearbook Vanderbilt had a women’s basketball team during the 1976-77 season (left), but the sport would not become a varsity program until the next year.

XL YEARS OF TITLE IX

rom my point of view, Title IX was landmark legislation. Clearly there was gender discrimination in higher education. After Title IX was enacted, to my surprise, most of the focus seemed to fall upon athletics when it was intended to cover the university as a whole. Most people think Title IX is only athletic-related, though when it was originally conceived it was intended to address a much broader scope on the campus. — Vice Chancellor David Williams

This year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, legislation put in place to end discrimination on the basis of sex. Certainly the most ballyhooed effect that Title IX has had over these many years has come in the arena of athletics. The topic can create contentious debate, but there is no doubt that Title IX has done a great deal to promote the growth of women’s athletics over the years. According to the NCAA, female participation in collegiate athletics totaled less than 80,000 women in 1982. In 20 years, that number doubled. With that increase has come more opportunities for female coaches and administrators. President Richard Nixon signed Title IX on June 23, 1972, but it took a number of years for legislators to decide exactly what the amendments would mean. Vanderbilt set forth to establish women’s athletic programs, and in April 1977, Emily H. Harsh was promoted to lead the newly formed Women’s Athletic Department at Vanderbilt. Four Commodore athletic teams—basketball, swimming, tennis and track—began competing that fall and joined the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). Joe Pepper was selected to lead the wom-

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en’s basketball team, which posted a 15-9 record during the 1977-78 season. Karen McGinn—a Father Ryan standout who was the first female student-athlete to receive a partial athletic scholarship to Vanderbilt—led the Commodores in scoring that year, averaging 16.5 points per game. Pepper recruited Sheila Johansson the following year, making her the school’s first full scholarship female student-athlete. Johansson would battle injury throughout her career, facing two knee surgeries before averaging 14 points per game as a sophomore in 197980. By the fourth year of women’s athletics, the women’s department was up to 10 staff members, and offices had been appointed in the basement of Memorial Gymnasium (near the current basketball locker rooms). When the NCAA began incorporating women’s sports in the fall of 1981, Harsh made Vanderbilt’s women’s athletic department a dual member of the NCAA and the AIAW. The move helped members of all five programs reach national postseason play that season. The swimming and diving team placed sec-

Karen McGinn was the first female to earn a partial athletic scholarship to Vanderbilt.

ond at the NCAA Division II championships, and tennis player Jan Maxey earned an atlarge bid to NCAA Division I nationals. Cross country and track both were represented in the AIAW Division III championships, while the basketball team earned its spot in the AIAW Division I tournament by winning its region. The AIAW disbanded the following year, and the Commodore women became fulltime members of the NCAA. Vanderbilt would lay claim to its first national championship when Phil Lee’s women’s basketball squad won the 1984 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. By 1986, Vanderbilt Athletic Director Roy Kramer had folded operation of the women’s sports into the greater athletic department and promoted another influential woman, 13-year Commodore veteran June Stewart, to senior women’s administrator. Stewart had joined Vanderbilt in 1973 as a secretary for the sports information department and eventually would be named associate director of athletics. In 1989, Stewart was selected to the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee. She would serve as the first female president of the College Sports Information Directors of America the following year. Seven years after her retirement in 2001, Stewart was part of VU’s inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class. Under Stewart’s watch, Jim Foster’s women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1993, and Ryan Tolbert captured the school’s first NCAA championship (400m hurdles) in 1997. Vanderbilt has expanded its offerings for women three times in the past 16 years— adding lacrosse and bowling while re-establishing swimming to fill out a 10-sport roster. Within the past decade, women’s sports at Vanderbilt have seen unprecedented suc-

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

1972

1977-78

1977

The Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, more commonly known simply as Title IX, was signed. It was renamed after its author, Congresswoman Patsy Mink (left), in 2002.

Jim McNairy (left) named first head full-time coach of a women’s varsity program; Emily Harsh appointed assistant athletic director for women.

Vanderbilt’s women’s athletic department consisted of four sports: basketball, swimming, tennis and track.

1985

Under the direction of Randy Johnson, women’s soccer became a varsity program.

1984

1986

The next year, a golf program was started. Head Coach Cindy Parrott led the golfers in their first season in 1988-89.

Coach Phil Lee’s basketball team earned the school’s first national championship by winning the Women’s National Invitation Tournament crown.

1993

Heidi Gillingham led the Commodore basketball team to the NCAA Final Four.

1996

Lacrosse played its first varsity season under Head Coach Wendy Stevens.

1997

Ryan Tolbert (right) won the 400meter hurdles to give Vanderbilt its first NCAA National Championship.

2001

Geoff Macdonald’s tennis team advanced to the final match of the NCAA Championships. In just its third season, the bowling team captured Vanderbilt’s first NCAA team championship.

2007

Swimming returned to varsity status after 15-year hiatus.

MARCH 2012

Steve Keith’s cross country team won the SEC Championship.

2011

cess. Basketball—certainly the most visible sport thanks to the ESPNs of the world—has made the NCAA Tournament every year since 2000 and stands second in the Southeastern Conference with a total of six league tournament titles, winning the event four times from 2002 to 2009. Under the direction of 18-year Head Coach Geoff Macdonald, the women’s tennis team made its 17th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament last spring, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the 13th time overall. That program was the first Vanderbilt squad to reach an NCAA final in 2001, a feat nearly repeated three years later with an NCAA Final Four appearance in 2004.

BREAKING THROUGH Two Vanderbilt graduates and former women’s basketball players have gained fame for knocking down gender barriers in recent years. Teresa Lawrence Phillips (’80), the athletic director at Tennessee State University, was the first woman to coach an NCAA Division I men’s basketball game. Phillips coached the Tigers in their 2003 regular season finale after their head coach had been suspended. The next year, Ashley McElhiney (’03) was named the head coach of the American Basketball Association’s Nashville Rhythm, becoming the first female head coach of a pro men’s basketball team.

Coach Greg Allen’s golf team has finished in the Top 10 of the NCAA National Championship field in each of the past two seasons and will play host to the event this spring at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin. The cross country squad won the SEC championship this year before placing sixth in the NCAA National Championship in the school’s first appearance at the event. With the distance runners excelling, Coach Steve Keith has now turned his attention to the track and field program. Two of the youngest programs—lacrosse and bowling—have had great runs in their short lives. The lacrosse team has made six NCAA Tournament trips since 2002, becoming the first team from outside the eastern time zone to the reach the NCAA Final Four in 2004. That same year the bowling program started, and in just their third season the bowlers claimed VU’s first NCAA national team championship. The bowlers returned to the championship match a year ago. Since Title IX was established 40 years ago, Vanderbilt has methodically built an exemplary portfolio of women’s teams, helping female student-athletes succeed on the court, as well as in the classroom. “The opportunities have expanded,” Associate Vice Chancellor Patricia Marett said. “Our challenge now is to get sports fans to realize how exciting these teams are. You go to a women’s basketball game, those women are phenomenal. I think if people have the opportunity to see that, they’ll really begin to become serious fans.” n

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Athletics

ADMINISTRATION Spotlight

While Vice Chancellor David Williams is the public face of Vanderbilt Student Athletics, the department relies on a great number of people behind the scenes to run smoothly. At the top of that list is Patricia Marett, Williams’ Chief of Staff. “Patricia Marett is literally the chief financial officer of our $50 million business,” Williams said. “This is a complex and eve r- changing enterprise; it’s not as though we can set a plan in place and put it on autopilot the rest of the month or year. Things can change quickly in athletics, and it’s invaluable Patricia Marett to have someone with Patricia’s expertise handling the vast challenges in our budget— facilities, scholarships, travel, various incomes, salaries, unexpected expenses....” Marett has worked at Vanderbilt for nearly 19 years, starting as the business manager for microbiology and immunology at the Vanderbilt Medical School. Marett was the associate vice chancellor and chief of staff for the Division of Student Life and University Affairs in 2003 when Vanderbilt re-structured its athletic department, adding the financial and administrative operations of the athletic department to her other duties. An Atlanta native with degrees from Mercer and the University of Georgia, Marett believes her perspective as an athletics outsider has helped her make tough decisions. “This is another line of business,” Marett said. “It’s really interesting and I love the kids, but it wasn’t that I was in love with the product and didn’t have the ability to come in, look at it critically and say, ‘This makes sense; this makes no business sense.’” Marett uses this critical approach to steer the Commodores in the right direction, but she is not without emotional ties to athletics. The quarterback of her Chi Omega powder puff football team in college, Marett is fully invested in the success of every Commodore student-athlete. “I would watch our kids play anything.” n

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YOU NEED IS YOUR EARS. A PART OF THE MUSIC.

It’s My Turn by Rod Williamson

Examining gender equity

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ather around the campfire, kids, and let me tell you about the good old days in college athletics:

“Once upon a time—and that was the late 1960s—athletic departments used to be sparsely staffed, snow white and all-male, except for a few secretaries. To those inside the system, this seemed perfectly normal because this was how it had always been. How else could it be? “Then in 1972 some rabble-rousing women made a silly fuss and all of a sudden the United States government passed something called Title IX. It seemed very weird to the collegiate sports establishment when Title IX talked about equality in treatment between the long-established men’s programs and these newfangled women’s teams. Old timers were pretty shaken up about it. “‘You mean we have got to take good money that we were going to spend on football and baseball and spend it on women’s track and basketball?’ they asked each other incredulously. ‘We ain’t got enough money to do that. Seems like a waste.’ “At most universities, it took a while for Title IX to take hold. Oldschool administrators sought ways to delay the effects of this drastic new concept, but by the early 1980s most places were fielding a handful of women’s varsity teams, usually funded on a shoestring. “Ever so gradually, those compact administrative staffs enlarged. Once only football, men’s basketball and baseball merited attention from the athletic director, sports information officer or business manager, but those days were numbered. Opportunities continued to grow. At Vanderbilt in 1993, a turn-away crowd of 15,000 jammed Memorial Gymnasium to watch a women’s basketball game. And everyone lived happily ever after.” That parable contains more truth than fiction. And to most of us in the 21st century, the notion of such inequality seems as bizarre as the women’s suffrage debate or separate drinking fountains for blacks and whites. Oh, you can still find a few old-schoolers who scoff at women’s sports and lament that the money to fund their programs should be funneled to bloated men’s budgets. But those dinosaurs are getting few and far between. Sometimes I think Commodore fans would be surprised to realize the important and influential role women play inside our department on a daily basis. We know about the women’s teams and high-profile coaches such as Melanie Balcomb. But how many of you know Candice Lee, Patricia Marett, Lori Alexander, Vickie Woosley or Elizabeth Wright, to name just a few of our difference-makers? We won’t attempt to offer full job descriptions or bios, but let’s quickly identify their crucial roles to our success. Candice Lee and Patricia Marett are quite possibly the most influential individuals inside Vanderbilt Athletics short of Vice Chancellor David Williams. Lee is our senior women’s administrator and director of compliance, while Marett—a longtime Vanderbilt executive—is chief of staff and our CFO. Her expertise in handling our complicated $50 million budget is vital. Lori Alexander is a longtime ‘Dore, a member of our Athletic Management Team with oversight of many men’s and women’s programs and all of the championship events we host. Vicki Woosley is our new sports psychologist, and judging by her bulging appointments calendar, her impact is priceless. Elizabeth Wright heads our highly successful academic center, working daily with 325 student-athletes. We’ve come a long way from the days when young girls lacked sports role models and opportunities, and the secretary’s desk was a woman’s only shot at working in sports. However, there are still miles to go before we sleep. n

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Men’s basketball sets own path in classroom

A biological sciences major, Noll’s course of study has been carefully planned out since organic chemistry that first year. For other student-athletes, however, finding a major that is a perfect fit takes a little more effort. In fact, some do not find exactly what they are looking for, so they create it. Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Sciences offers 49 defined undergraduate majors, but when that list is found wanting students can create an interdisciplinary major “to explore connections between traditional academic areas, and to pursue their emerging scholarly interests in the intersections between multiple disciplines and methodologies.” Currently, three starters for Head Coach Kevin Stallings’ basketball team are pursuing these interdisciplinary courses of study. “It allows for you to have a little bit more flexibility with what you’re interested in,” senior Jeffery Taylor said. “You can mold it after your own personal interests instead of just following the strict guidelines that some of the majors have. Especially for me, that’s what I was looking for—to have the opportunity to take the classes that I felt I was interested in.” A self-professed history buff, Taylor wanted to combine his love of U.S. and European history with contemporary sociology classes that he also enjoyed. “Comparative Cultures: The U.S. and Europe” was born. Classmate Lance Goulbourne also chose to go the interdisciplinary route. He combined economics, sociology, accounting and business classes into a “Social Economic Theory” major. “You have to write a proposal to the dean,” Goulbourne said. “You have to choose your

Lance Goulbourne

Brad Tinsley

classes and get it approved, take them, and do well in them. I like the way it is and how I set it up.” And Senior Academic Counselor Neal Clark likes the amount of forethought required of the student, noting an impressive letter of interest that Goulbourne submitted with his major proposal. Even the SEC’s leading scorer, junior John Jenkins, has created his own major. It is entitled “Religion and Cultural Studies.” These four student-athletes underscore the importance that Stallings and his staff place on academics. Every student-athlete that has stayed for four years under Stallings has earned his degree. In the latest NCAA graduation success rates, Vanderbilt was the only SEC school whose men’s basketball team outperformed the national average. The NCAA set a single-season record by graduating 82 percent of the student-athletes who began college in 2004. For the same year’s report, the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team boasted a graduation success rate of 93 percent. According to senior Brad Tinsley, who works as a teacher’s assistant in the sociology department for Dr. Laurie Woods, that’s no mistake. “One of their main goals is to make sure we graduate,” Tinsley said. “Our coaches always say that we’re students first and then athletes second. Especially at this prestigious school, it can be tough being gone on road trips and catching up on class, but they definitely put a strong emphasis on getting to class, getting good grades, getting the help we need and graduating.” n

JOE HOWELL

hen Fort Mitchell, Ky., native Aaron Noll arrived in Nashville in 2008, he must have decided that studying pre-med at Vanderbilt was not enough of a challenge. So in October of his freshman year, Noll attended a walk-on tryout for the varsity men’s basketball team. “I was taking a full load already, and then I threw basketball in there out of nowhere,” Noll said. “That was a pretty big change.” But the former Covington Catholic star has more than adapted to the rigorous schedule. Noll has been named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll in each of the past two seasons and already has been accepted to the medical schools at Vanderbilt, the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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MARCH 2012

2/8/12 5:14 PM

Franklin signs impressive class, 21 strong

ter of Intent last month to play football at Vanderbilt, where he will be reunited with Grady. McCoy is one of 21 three- and four-star recruits (according to ESPN. com) to choose Vanderbilt this February, and is part of an impressive six-member group of offensive linemen. “Not just six guys, but six quality guys we’re really excited about,” Offensive Line Coach Herb Hand said. “We think they’ve all got great futures. They all bring differ- Josh Grady ent attributes, but the one thing they have in common is that they’re all long.” Especially McCoy, who has only played organized football since his freshman year of high school but started for two years at one of the nation’s top programs (Armwood went 29-1 the last two years, winning Florida’s 6A championship in 2011). “He’s got really long arms, so even though he’s only 6’5”, he can be a multi-position player for us and play both tackle and guard because of how long his arms are,” Hand

said. “He’s got the biggest hands I’ve ever seen. We measure guys’ hands from the tip of their pinky to the tip of their thumb, and I want to say, in the NFL, the average length is about 9.5 inches— McCoy’s hands are 11 inches across. He’s got some measurables that we really liked.” According to the once and future teammate who helped convince him to sign with Vanderbilt, McCoy also rates off the charts when it comes to some aspects that cannot be measured by combine-style drills. “He’s just one of the most humble people I’ve ever met,” Grady said. “I think that’s why he has such great potential. He’s only been playing football for like two or three years, but just the fact that he’s been able to stay humble despite all of the success of winning state championships and getting several college offers, that really speaks to his personality.” n JOHN RUSSELL

hen Tampa’s Armwood High School opened the second half of its 2010 homecoming game against East Bay with a touchdown that grew its lead to 42-6, junior Kevin McCoy did not simply spike the ball. “I really threw that ball hard,” McCoy said. Football had helped the shy McCoy come out of his shell, so when an assistant coach challenged him at halftime to “spike the ball [or subject the team to] 100 up-downs before practice,” McCoy reluctantly obliged. The moment almost passed him by, however. Senior quarterback Josh Grady had scored the Hawks’ touchdown but forgotten to give the ball to McCoy, the squad’s starting right tackle. As an official moved the ball for a point-after attempt, Grady grabbed it back and handed it to the 6’5” McCoy, who emphatically cast it down. “Everyone was kind of confused,” McCoy said. “Even the ref didn’t know what had happened. And then after five seconds of everyone standing there, all you see is a bunch of yellow flags raining from the sky. It was crazy.” It also was out of character for the offensive lineman, who signed a National Let-

2012 NATIONAL SIGNING DAY

BILL WARD / TAMPA TRIBUNE

Head Coach James Franklin announced the signing of 21 prospective student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, Feb. 1 —the first day of the 2012 spring signing period. The list features:

Kevin McCoy

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Signees

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

Residence/High School

Torey Agee

6’3”

250

Opelika, Ala./Opelika

Caleb Azubike

6’4”

250

Nashville/McGavock

Brandon Banks

5’10”

170

Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park

Ladarius Banks

6’2”

275

Dallas, Ga./East Paulding

Cory Batey

6’0”

188

Nashville/Ensworth

Adam Butler

6’4”

285

Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville

Blake Fromang

6’7”

285

Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep

Barrett Gouger

6’4”

280

Soddy Daisy, Tenn./Baylor School

Harding Harper

6’2”

215

Montgomery, Ala./Carver

Paris Head

6’0”

175

Lawrenceville, Ga./Buford

Darreon Herring

6’1”

220

Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson

Will Holden

6’6”

280

Green Cove Springs, Fla./Clay

Andrew Jelks

6’6”

270

Paris, Tenn./Henry County

Brian Kimbrow

5’8”

170

Memphis, Tenn./East

Kevin McCoy

6’5”

285

Tampa, Fla./Armwood

Torren McGaster

6’0”

185

Daphne, Ala./Daphne

Tip McKenzie

5’8”

175

Natchez, Miss./Trinity Episcopal

Patton Robinette

6’4”

200

Maryville, Tenn./Maryville

Jake Sealand

6’2”

215

Tucker, Ga./Tucker

Ja’karri Thomas

6’1”

200

Tallahassee, Fla./Godby

Stephen Weatherly

DE/LB 6’5”

220

Snellville, Ga./Shiloh

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

MARCH 2012

After serving as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 21 years, Vickie Woosley joined the staff at Vanderbilt in 2006. Last October, her office moved into the McGugin Center where she now focuses all her time on sports psychology for the Department of Student Athletics.

POTENTIAL: “I really stay away from that word because I don’t think you can measure potential. Instead of a coach saying, ‘You’re wasting your potential’— and sending the message that they’ve really disappointed the coach—I try to make it more concrete: ‘Based on your skills and abilities, I think we need to work on these things.’ I like to think about it as your peak performance. I think we always know when we’re clicking on all cylinders. How do we consistently get there?

HOLISTIC: “Athletes have a tough way to go here at Vanderbilt. The academic pace is pretty rigorous, and they don’t have much discretionary time— keeping that balance can be really tough. I am a licensed clinical psychol gist, which means I treat the whole person and not just their sport. Their identity is not just as an athlete, they come to Vanderbilt as young adults and have other interests and hobbies. Sometimes they have external things going on in their family, their relationships, any number of things—just like the rest of us do—and they need some support.”

WITH...

VICKIE WOOSLEY P

TRUST: “I hope I can reduce the stigma of mental health. The big gest thing has been people getting to know me. Confidentiality is my credibility. It has to be a trusting relationship.”

ANXIETY: “I have some breathing techniques that I pretty much teach everyone. Inhale through your nose for four, you hold it for four and exhale through your mouth. It’s something you can do anywhere, anytime. The first signs of anxiety usually are physiological, so I teach people to recognize those things. It’s at that moment when you need to go into your mental toolbox and say, ‘Okay, I know what to do.’ The other thing is, focus on what you can control, not what you can’t.” n

sy.D., HSP

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MARCH 2012

Vice Chancellor Williams on Title IX Last month, Commodore Nation sat down with Vice Chancellor David Williams to talk about the effect that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 has had on the collegiate athletic landscape. Commodore Nation: Do you think most fans realize the important contributions that female members of our department make? David Williams: I doubt it, because like all members of our support staff they are behind the scenes for the most part. Top coaches such as Cathy Swezey (lacrosse) and Melanie Balcomb (basketball) are visible, but most others are not. Candice Storey Lee, a former basketball studentathlete here, has oversight of David Williams women’s basketball, life skills, academics, compliance and is our senior women’s administrator. That’s a lot of responsibility. Elizabeth Wright, our director of academic support, has been instrumental in our student-athletes achieving a 3.0 cumulative grade point average for the past five years. Lori Alexander, a former strength and conditioning coach here, has oversight of many teams while also supervising our summer camp program and all of our championship events. Patricia Marett handles our budget. These women, and many others, are all critical to our success.

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CN: Has Title IX adversely affected men’s athletic programs? DW: No, I don’t think so. What has caused some men’s programs to be eliminated are tight budgets and the inability of universities to fund more programs. Unfortunately, Title IX gets blamed when the university may not have the financial capability of sponsoring additional sport programs. CN: Why do you think Vanderbilt has such a tradition of strong women’s sport teams? DW: Historically we find that the success of women’s sports programs is closely connected to academics. For the most part, there is much less “after life”—i.e. professional sports opportunities—for women, and consequently women’s sports tend to mirror the true college life. Female student-athletes are selecting their school for the right reasons and not thinking about where they might attend to improve their chances of turning professional. CN: Your daughter Samantha was an NCAA swimmer in the Ivy League. Did her participation affect how you view women’s athletics? DW: Clearly it did. I have two sons and two daughters, and I always felt my girls should have the same opportunities as my boys. My feelings run deep and go back a long time. When I was a teenager my school had an outstanding track program. There was a girl in our neighborhood, Billie Jean White, and through grade school and junior high she could outrun most if not all of the guys. However, when we got to high school, we became stars and Billie Jean was left behind because there wasn’t a team for her. We went to college and she didn’t; Title IX came too late for Billie Jean. n

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

LAST SHOTS

STEVE GREEN, JOE HOWELL, JOHN RUSSELL / VU PHOTOGRAPHY

efore the official onset of March Madness, Commodores fans came down with a touch of February Fever on the first full week of last month. With three games in a four-day span, a total of 39,960 Black and Gold faithful watched basketball inside Memorial Gymnasium on Feb. 8, 9 and 11. The men’s team dispatched LSU, 76-61, on Wednesday to kick off the excitement. The next night, a season-high 12,034 were on hand to watch the women knock off in-state rival Tennessee. The week culminated with a visit from ESPN College GameDay on Saturday before Dick Vitale and company broadcast the Commodores’ clash with top-ranked Kentucky.

MARCH 2012