BEVERLY, Mass. - In conjunction with National Girl & Women In Sports Day (Feb. 3), the Endicott Gull Club has dedicated the week of February 1-5 to honoring our women alumni student-athletes. Throughout the week one alum will be featured each day (Monday-Friday) on the athletics website. Each alum will discuss their experiences at Endicott and they will also give advice to current student-athletes at the school as well.
Our fifth and final alum to be featured is former two-time Endicott Female Athlete of the Year Shannon Corliss '99. To read features from earlier this week click below.
MONDAY: Kristen (Altieri) DeCarli '05 Feature | TUESDAY: Emily Sawchuck '15 Feature | WEDNESDAY: Adrienne (Leonne) Fatzinger '03 | THURSDAY: Morgan DeShaw '12 Feature
What memory or memories from your time as a student-athlete at Endicott do you most cherish?
Well, aside from some obvious championship victories, the memory I cherish most as a student athlete is being part of a team. In my experience, being part of a team, my team, was like having an instant family. The bonds I formed on the women’s soccer team will last forever.
A second memory is one of our games against Gordon College. It was the first time Endicott beat Gordon in quite some time. It was an intense game, a tied game, and we needed to score, we needed to put that ball in the back of the net, which is exactly what we did, breaking the long standing record of losing to Gordon. In that moment of celebration, with the team screaming and chanting, I took off running towards the crowd that was rushing the field to congratulate our accomplishment. I ran straight into the open arms of my Dad, a victory hug. A hug you never forget!
Do you feel your time as a student-athlete at Endicott helped you become a stronger woman?
Absolutely! From playing on a team to being in the classroom, you had to learn how to communicate effectively, and work well as a team. Being a student-athlete requires discipline and a positive attitude, all behaviors that carry you through life.
Have you seen any change in women’s athletics from the time you competed as a student-athlete to today’s current landscape?
I do think the landscape of women athletics has changed. As most things do, I feel as though female athletics are forever changing. From Title IX to current day, yes it is different. There are more opportunities to participate in sports and allow growth for our future.
What does being a female athlete mean to you?
Being a female athlete means playing with heart and dedication, taking pride in what you do on and off the field. It means taking care of yourself, having respect for yourself and others. It has helped define me as a person. Sports gave me the chance to find my niche in this big world, and to this day, I am thankful for the opportunities and experiences I had. They made me who I am today.
What would you want to say to this generation of college aged female-athletes?
You have a choice every single day, make good choices. Make the most of what you have. Work extremely hard because hard work does pay off. Be a good person, be a role model... someone is always watching. Have fun playing sports, the time goes by so fast when you're in the moment. Enjoy it, every last bit of it.
CURRENT STUDENT-ATHLETE KELSEY CUDDY '16 OF THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WEIGHS IN ON BEING A FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETE
Being a student-athlete at Endicott means you have a responsibility to take care of more than just yourself. Your team becomes your family, and being a student-athlete makes you not want to let your family down. You become the best possible version of yourself. Being a student-athlete at Endicott means finding a balance between academics, sports, and having fun. It means putting in more time and effort into something you love just because you love it, and not for anything else. Being a student-athlete at Endicott has helped me truly find myself, and once I look back as an alumna, I know when I think about being a student-athlete the first thing I will do is smile.
(NGWSD began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player, Flo Hyman, for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women’s sports. Hyman died of Marfan’s Syndrome in 1986 while competing in a volleyball tournament in Japan. Since that time, NGWSD has evolved into a day devoted to acknowledging the past accomplishments of female athletes and recognizing current sports achievements, the positive influence of sports participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.)
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