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"I decided on St. Mary's because of the academic stature, the beautiful campus, and the soccer program," said John Greely, a biology major from Leonardtown, Md. "Also I have known the men's soccer head coach, Herb Gainey, for a number of years and he showed how great St. Mary's really is."
Students come to St. Mary's mainly for academic reasons, yet one in seven competes on a varsity athletic team and many more participate in club, intramural, or recreational opportunities.
The primary mission of this liberal arts institution is to develop each student into a total person through a broad variety of experience. And part of this variety involves participation in sports. The hope is that these scholar-athletes will learn many lessons from their playing days which will teach them to balance many responsibilities, set high standards on and off the court, and motivate the people around them to do the same.
St. Mary's is a member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division III where emphasis is placed on encouraging participation by the most number of students in a wide variety of athletic opportunities.
"The athletes here [at St. Mary's] and in all Division III schools know that we are here primarily for an education, but we also want to be able to pursue our love of our sport," explains John. A member of the men's soccer team since his first year, John says that "being a part of the team is so important because we are a big family and all good friends."
Even though the emphasis is on the academics, the sports teams are sometimes called upon to fundraise for uniform needs and travel opportunities.
"Each member always pays for his own cleats," said John "As for fundraisers, we sell a team calendar that is always fun to make." John and his teammates also raised money to finance a trip to England in 2004. There to begin their pre-season training, they also got a chance to go head-to-head with several professional teams. Overall, said John, it was a great team-building and cultural experience.
With your continuing generosity, players may get a break from fundraising. Through the Heritage Campaign, friends and former athletes have created endowments for the men's soccer, men's lacrosse (Tom Rowe Endowment for Men's Lacrosse), and women's lacrosse teams. Endowment funds will be used to support current needs of the team while meeting the rising costs of travel, officiating, uniforms, and meals.
Still, school comes first. Not having much time outside of his studies and soccer training, John manages to squeeze in an opportunity to help coach a local youth soccer team. Maintaining a good academic average helped him to receive one of the new scholarships created during the campaign. He will graduate in 2007 and is one of the recipients of the St. Mary's County Health Department Scholarship, an award established by this local agency to encourage students to pursue careers with a health emphasis.
"John is a great example of what you want your kids to grow up and be like," said Herb Gainey, who is also the assistant director of athletics. "He is a leader, quality student and solid athlete who is always willing to go the extra mile."
"Being involved as a student athlete at St. Mary's prepared me well to be a team player in the business world, so I donated to the Athletics & Recreation Endowment. The great thing about the giving program at St. Mary's is that there are many initiatives that resonate with people on all different levels. There are many programs from which to choose - scholarships, undergraduate research, international study - something that can speak to each individual donor."
Peg Duchesne '77
Alumni Council President
