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University of Massachusets Athletics
Dreaming of Olympic Gold
 |  Danielle Henderson will be making the trip to Sydney as part of the U.S. softball team. |
July 17, 2000
By SUSAN COSCIONE
The Maroon & White
It's that time again.
It only happens every four years, but when it does, it is always full of many wonderful moments that athletes, coaches and fans will remember and cherish for years to come.
It's the time to pull together as a country and go out there onto the playing field to compete and have fun - to be able to say proudly to all those around you, "I am an American," or "I am a Canadian" or whatever country you represent. It's an opportunity that so few people get to experience, and yet, for some of our UMass alumni and present coaches and athletes, it's a dream they will live very soon.
The "it" is the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Just as in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, UMass will be well represented in Sydney. Sept. 15 will mark the opening ceremonies, with several Minutemen and Minutewomen hoping to get the chance to represent their country in their respective sports. For some, it's a dream that has already become reality, and for others, it's a dream still in the making.
Current UMass assistant field hockey coach and former standout goalie Hilary Rose is no stranger to the Olympics, having competed previously in the 1996 Olympics for Great Britain, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal.
She's ready to help her country bring home a medal this year, and is optimistic about the team's chances of succeeding in Sydney.
"I think after coming so close in 1996, it has made me more determined to succeed," Rose said. "I want to give the team and myself my best effort and to be in the best shape I can, mentally and physically, to be able to meet the demands the Olympic games throw at you. I want to give myself the best chance to succeed."
"Our chances of winning a medal are high. We have already beaten the Australians, the Dutch, the Germans and the South Africans this year, and they are all teams ranked much higher than us. If things go well, and we have a little luck on our side, we could upset quite a few teams. Watch out, the British are coming!"
UMass Head Coach Patty Shea is glad Rose has been given the opportunity to compete in her second Olympics. As a former two-time U.S. Olympian, Shea knows what it's like the second time around.
"Hilary has been through the Olympics before," Shea said. "And I honestly feel every Olympian should go through two Olympics. The first time around, you are completely overwhelmed, and you can't break it down into just another tournament. The distractions are huge. By the second time, you know exactly what you are out there for."
Unlike in the United States where field hockey is still an amateur sport, field hockey is one of Great Britain's top sports. And in fact, Rose could well be considered one of her country's top athletes.
"Like in the U.S., Great Britain also has role models that the little kids look up to, and Hilary is one of those role models in her country," Shea said. "She is one of the premier athletes that people look up to and strive to be. Instead of saying, `I want to be like Michael Jordan,' they are saying, `I want to be like Hilary Rose.' Her sport is always in the national spotlight, and it is truly the cream of the crop to get to where she has been and where she is now."
Rose has the experience and skill it takes to be Britain's No. 1 goalkeeper, which should help her succeed in Sydney.
"Hilary is experienced," Shea said. "She's savvy. She's been through it and she knows exactly what to do. And the one great thing about Hilary, is she could look herself in a mirror and be extremely honest with herself. She will know when she is playing well and when she has struggled."
Rose has grown more as an individual and has learned a great deal from her experiences in the Olympics, in her involvement in her country's national team and in her coaching duties at UMass. They have given her even more determination to succeed. They have helped her to develop more as a coach. But most importantly, those experiences have allowed her to be able to share and pass on her learning and maturity to others around her.
"The biggest thing field hockey has given me is the chance to pass on my knowledge to others," Rose said. "To me, coaching is not a job. It is something I love to do, and most of the time, I find it extremely rewarding. UMass has been a great place for me to grow as a person and as a coach."
Former Minutewoman soccer standout Briana Scurry is also set to embark on her second Olympics. Unfortunately, the 1993 Missouri Athletic Club/adidas Goalkeeper of the Year is currently injured and has not been able to compete with the team on its summer tour. But UMass fans are hoping she can get healthy just in time to take part in this year's Summer Olympics.
Scurry has enjoyed several highlights in her seven-year stint with the U.S. National team, as a member of both the 1996 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team and the gold medal-winning U.S. World Cup Team in 1999. She was also named the Most Valuable Player in her first major competition with the national team in the 1994 Chiquita Cup, in which the United States captured victories over top five countries in China, Germany and Normandy.
UMass Head Coach Jim Rudy has enjoyed the privileges that go along with having an Olympian in his program, with both Scurry and former Minutewoman Debbie Belkin having competed for the U.S.
"I've had a philosophy for years that your program is not measured by what you're doing now, it's what went before," Rudy said. "Every golf course has a signature hole and Briana is our signature of success."
Rudy also said the United States should have a good chance of repeating as champs in Sydney this year.
"I think the U.S. feels confident they can win it," Rudy said. "Right now, they are going at everything aggressively."
One Minutewoman who will be a newcomer to the Olympics this season is current UMass assistant softball coach and former pitching standout Danielle "Harry" Henderson. Henderson first found out the good news on Sept. 5 of last year.
"At first, I didn't believe it," Henderson said. "It was such an awesome feeling, almost like a dream."
UMass Head Coach Elaine Sortino was the first recipient of her All-American's exciting news.
"I cried when she told me," Sortino said. "I was so nervous that whole weekend because I knew how much it meant to her. I told her that she'd better call her mother and then call me back with all the details."
Henderson was one of 15 finalists chosen out of a 39-player pool of candidates, and according to Sortino, Henderson's work ethic and determination were the deciding factors in her election to the team.
"I think there is a fine line between those that achieve at that level," Sortino said. "But her desire and fortitude to work through the difficulty was absolutely incredible. She just kept getting better as the summer was progressing, and as a coach, that is all you can ask an athlete to do - to continue to raise the bar and get a little bit better each day. I think probably in the end, that was what gave her the opening to go through the door."
Henderson is 4-0 on the mound so far on the pre-Olympic tour, and has been enjoying her new experiences with her new teammates. However, in the back of her mind, there always exists the jitters of playing in your first Olympics.
"The team is really great," Henderson said. "The travelling has been a little crazy, but it's good because it has really brought the team closer together. My teammates are really fun people to be around.
"I want to go out there and do the best I can. This is a very intimidating situation, so right now I'm working on trying to get through that. The tour has gone by so fast. It's a little overwhelming knowing that the Olympics is arriving so quickly."
Sortino believes Henderson's story is a true fairy tale, one that she and many others will never forget.
"Harry was at our softball camp six years ago," Sortino said. "I talk about that all the time with young kids. She is an inspiration for our team and for our players. I don't think words could ever justify what this means."
UMass Head Women's Rowing Coach Jim Dietz will be entering into his third Olympics as a coach. Dietz was also a three-time Olympian as a rower in 1972, 1976 and 1980. Dietz will be taking on a different role, however, at this year's Olympics, as the U.S. Olympic Lightweight coach. He served as the Quad coach in 1988 and 1992. Dietz also has several current and former Minutewomen rowers who are trying to qualify for Sydney in their respective countries. They include current UMass rower Sarah Pollmann, who will be representing Germany, and former Minutewomen Sarah Jones (United States), Sarah Lauritzen (Denmark), Tamara Saratlic (Yugoslavia) and Wendy Wilbur (United States).
"I am extremely excited to be coaching the lightweight boat at this year's Olympics," Dietz said. "It is extremely satisfying that former and current Minutewomen will also be there from various countries in the biggest event for our sport."
UMass has a few other Olympic hopefuls still hoping for the chance to represent the U.S. They include gymnast Jeff LaVallee, who recently completed his Minuteman career as a five-time All-American, and swimmers Billy Brown and Chris Arsenault, who will both be entering into their senior year at UMass.
The excitement is brimming once again as our UMass athletes, coaches and the rest of the world get set to for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Good Luck to all the Minutemen and Minutewomen Olympians, as they sail off to Australia to represent not only their native country, but also the University of Massachusetts.
It's that time again. Enjoy the celebration!