Middlebury AthleticsPursuing Excellence on the Playing Field

Whether a member of one of 31 varsity or 22 club teams, Middlebury’s student-athletes become dedicated teammates and leaders through

the College’s athletics program, which is vital to the complete education of all students. Although Middlebury teams garner numerous titles, the true successes of the program lie in the character growth of its student-athletes and the lifelong bonds formed with coaches and teammates.

At Middlebury, winning is never the sole goal. As Director of Athletics Erin Quinn ’86 states, “We focus on preparation—all those moments during the season and a four-year career that will define who you are as a team and as individuals.”

State-of-the-art training facilities combined with superb coaching give students the means to hone their athletic skills and develop a true sense of belonging as a member of a team. Head Coach of the women’s

lacrosse team Missy Foote—now in her 32nd year at Middlebury—is one of the College’s mentors, coaching her students in both life and athletic skills.

Andrew Matson ’09, a football wide receiver and baseball outfielder, and Ashley Barron ’09, the co-captain of the women’s basketball team, are two standout student-athletes. They epitomize the mission of Middlebury athletics to pursue excellence inside the classroom and on the playing field. Both Andrew and Ashley motivate and guide their fellow teammates by

working equally hard in practice and in games, not only to better themselves in their athletic pursuits, but also to strive for a more cohesive whole.

Like many of the athletes who have come before them, Andrew and Ashley see playing for Middlebury as a privilege. They know they will take with them upon graduation not only thriving friendships and myriad memories of athletic successes, but also life lessons that will help them prosper beyond the Middlebury campus.

“We focus on preparation—all those moments during the season and a four-year career that will define who you are as a team and as individuals.”—Erin Quinn ‘86, athletics director

Andrew Matson at a Glance

Hometown

Coventry, Rhode Island

Major

Biochemistry, Premedical Track

MinorEconomics

PositionsFootball—Wide Receiver,

Baseball—Catcher/Outfield

Favorite Place on Campus Youngman Field

Favorite Course Organic Chemistry

Favorite OpponentAmherst College

Highlight of 2008–09 Football Season

Defeating Hamilton 31-28 in the Rocking Chair Classic

In addition to being named a District 1 Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Direc-tors Association and a two-time NESCAC All-Academic choice in football, Andrew recently earned academic All-American honors at the conclusion of his last season on Youngman Field. Furthermore, Andrew appears on three of Middlebury’s all-time lists for receptions (97), yards (1,451), and touchdowns (15), leaving a lasting impression on Middlebury’s football program. This fall, Andrew also received the T. Ragan Ryan ’91 Award for Excellence, for his spirit of humanism, academic perfor-mance, cocurricular involvement, and actions benefitting others.

According to Matt Joseph ’09, Andrew’s teammate on the baseball squad, teamwork takes priority over Andrew’s personal accomplishments. Matt says, “I’ve watched Andrew devote himself to his teammates and the program. He consistently places the team’s needs over his own and is always willing to go the extra mile to make the team better.”

Andrew’s passion for medicine and football fused at Middlebury, largely through an internship at Porter Hos-pital, where he gained firsthand experience that helped him define his career goal to pursue either orthope-dics or sports medicine. Having applied to 11 medical schools, he knows that “Middlebury has given me the tools to be successful.” For Andrew, striking the essential balance between academics and athletics was a means to attain important life skills, such as perseverance, team-work, and leadership, which will carry him far in his future. With the foundation Andrew secured at Middle-bury, he is poised to tackle any of life’s challenges.

Football

“Andrew’s work ethic and attitude make him a joy to coach and a tremendous example for his teammates. He has inspired all who have the privilege to work with him.”

—Bob Ritter ’82, football coach

32

Andrew Matson ’09 Goes “All In”

As a wide receiver and sole captain of the football team and an outfielder for the baseball team, Andrew Matson ’09 is one of 150 multisport scholar-athletes

at Middlebury balancing the rigors of the classroom with those on the field. For Andrew, however, his commitment to athletics has led him to even greater successes as a biochemistry major on the premedical track.

Andrew’s “all-in” philosophy on life applies to his role as a student and athlete, as “he strives for excellence in all of his endeavors,” says Bob Ritter ’82, head coach of the football team. “Andrew’s work ethic and attitude made him a joy to coach and a tremendous example for his teammates. He has inspired all who have the privi-lege to work with him.”

Sports played a significant role in Andrew’s life from the very beginning in his hometown of Coventry,

Rhode Island. Both of his parents were coaches at Mo-ses Brown School in Providence, where Andrew gradu-ated from high school. His family home was located on campus, giving him the opportunity to spend ample time shadowing student-athletes, attending football team practices, and chasing runaway balls for the soccer team. This exposure to athletics had a substantial influence on Andrew and instilled in him an appreciation for team work, diligence, and dedication—all qualities he has

further developed at Middlebury.Andrew finds that playing two sports for the Col-

lege has allowed him to “bear down and focus, cut out wasted time, and relieve stress, whether through hitting balls or hitting guys.” The focus and balance he achieves through athletics allows Andrew to give 100 percent dedication to all that he does, making him a diligent leader and the recipient of many notable distinctions, both athletic and academic.

Football

“Andrew consistently places the team’s needs over his own and is always willing to go the extra mile to make the team better.”—Matt Joseph ’09, teammate

4

Making Sports a Metaphor for Life: Coach Missy Foote

“Missy made me realize where I wanted to go in life...I knew if I couldn’t play a sport professionally, I would be on the sideline trying to make a difference in others’ lives as she had in mine. ”

—Heidi Howard ’99, assistant lacrosse coach

Often during practice on Kohn Field, Missy Foote, head coach of the women’s lacrosse team, will stop a play for what she

calls a “Green Mountain moment,” a brief pause in practice to appreciate the dramatic backdrop just east of their field. Now into her 32nd year at Middlebury, Coach Foote has had numerous moments like these. She has forged lifelong bonds with many of the approximately 360 student-athletes she has mentored at the College during her tenure.

Coach Foote, who also serves as director of physical education and senior woman administrator at Middlebury, remembers fondly winning national championships, such as with her 1997 lacrosse and 1998 field hockey teams. She also recalls leading her athletes to multiple perfect seasons over the years. Yet she continues to return to the field for the “belly laughs” she has with her players. She says, “You never laugh more than with the wide-eyed, innocent 18-year-olds looking for a role model. As much as times change, my students and their sincerity always stay the same.”

Coach Foote also returns every spring for the deep connections that she knows will form over the season and throughout her students’ four years at the College. “As coaches, we try to make sports a metaphor for life,” she explains. “Through athletics, we grow highly functioning, committed adults. For me, this maturation process is incredibly rewarding to see and play a part in.”

Taryn Petrelli ’09, captain of the field hockey and lacrosse teams, is just one of the student-athletes Coach Foote has influenced. “Missy is a constant source of strength for her players. She inspires us to reach down inside of ourselves into a place we never knew existed before we met her,” she says. “I have lost count of the number of times Missy has encouraged me during a particular obstacle, whether it be on the playing field

or something entirely unrelated to lacrosse, just by reminding me that I can do anything I set out to if I really want it.”

Coach Foote came to Middlebury in 1974 from teaching and coaching at Green Mountain Union High School in Chester, Vermont. Coaching field hockey and lacrosse at the collegiate level had been her dream “for the longest time,” she recalls. Her own passion for these sports developed at Springfield College, where she graduated with a bachelor’s of science in physical education and prepared herself for a career in athletics.

Sports continue to play a vital role in Coach Foote’s life outside of coaching. Every day she makes a point

Women’s Lacrosse

5

Missy FooteIn Numbers

4 sports coached at Middlebury

(lacrosse, field hockey, basketball, and swimming)

5 Division III titles in lacrosse

5 NESCAC coach of the year awards

27 years as the head coach for

women’s lacrosse

319-72-1 overall lacrosse record

360 students coached over 32 years

to schedule time for exercise to continue challenging herself physically. “There couldn’t be a better place to live and work than in the Middlebury community,” she says, “with individuals who have great exercise ideas, whether a morning hike, a noon jog, or an afternoon ski.” She and her family are also avid hikers and recently conquered over 200 miles of the John Muir Trail in California.

A typical day for Coach Foote during the off-season can include purchasing equipment, hiring officials, and meeting with players and prospective students, as well as teaching physical education courses and sitting in on other coaches’ practices for performance evaluation. Through her blending of coaching and administrative

responsibilities, Coach Foote has witnessed significant changes in the athletics program at Middlebury. These changes are most evident in the advancements in the athletic opportunities available to female students.

When Coach Foote came to Middlebury, Title IX was still in its infancy. As she recalls, there was only one locker room for all women—the general public, students, and visiting teams alike. The facilities have improved and “the emphasis on athletics and the role it plays in a woman’s life has changed remarkably,” says Coach Foote. “Now well after Title IX, there is nothing holding back our females. They can achieve anything they want, which is a great transition to have witnessed.”

Coach Foote attributes much of the success of her female athletes over the years to increased interest in and support of Middlebury’s athletic programs. She explains, “The support of our donors enhances the opportunities for our student-athletes. Beyond the tangible impor-tance, this support means that someone values what you do; they are investing in your program, which gives you a sense of accountability. They care enough to help make a difference in the personal development of our student-athletes.”

Coach Foote weighs her success as a coach not in the number of titles her team achieves or her overall record, but rather in the role she plays launching players into their lives beyond Middlebury. Heidi Howard ’99, an assistant lacrosse coach and a standout athlete while at Middlebury, came back to coach at the College due to Missy’s strong influence. Heidi says, “Missy made me re-alize where I wanted to go in life and cemented a career path for me. I knew if I couldn’t play a sport profession-ally, I would be on the sideline trying to make a differ-ence in others’ lives, as she had in mine.”

The deep connections that develop on the field are the bonds that unite Middlebury athletes and keep them “invested in each other’s joys and sorrows years after graduation,” Coach Foote explains. She regularly attends the weddings of her athletes and christenings of their children, and provides advice to many former students who are now coaching on their own. She also partici-pates in marathons with her former athletes. “There’s nothing like helping each other come into the finish to reaffirm the strong relationships we built at the College,” Coach Foote says. “These are lifelong friendships and a support group that is ever expanding...bonds that define my coaching career at Middlebury.”

6

Ashley Barron ’09Pairs Psychology

and Sport

Stepping on the court for her final season dressed in Middlebury blue and white, Ashley Barron ’09, co-captain of the women’s basketball team, from Brockton,

Massachusetts, is quiet and poised; her thoughts collected. Ashley’s pregame ritual is simple: a moment’s pause to envision her role in the contest that lies ahead. When Ashley chose to pursue a psychology major and teacher’s education minor at Middlebury, she did not realize just how interconnected her passion for athletics and the processes of the mind would become.

“As athletes, we use body cues to anticipate the actions of our opponents. We look into their eyes and predict their next move,” Ashley explains. “Through studying the nature of the human brain, I have become a reader of people, a skill that developed in the class-room but cemented on the court.”

Through having a vital leadership position on the basketball team and mentoring Addison county ado-lescent girls in the Sister-to-Sister program, Ashley has solidified her goals—to impact students’ lives through sport, as her Middlebury coaches and teammates have done for her.

Ashley credits much of her athletic and academic success to Noreen Pecsok, head coach of the women’s basketball team, who Ashley says is largely responsible for her development and acquisition of leadership qualities. “Noreen has helped me build my character throughout my Middlebury career,” Ashley reflects. “She saw a lot of potential in me early on and knew how to

push me to realize my potential.”Last summer, Ashley had her first

experience coaching through the Institute for International Sport, a pro-gram that attracts standout high school student-athletes from all over the world. Coaching boys’ basketball dur-ing this program did more than break gender barriers for Ashley; it deepened her commitment to being a role model

for younger athletes. “I would love to coach boys in the future,” Ashley explains. “Even though I looked younger than the boys and had to physically look up at them, I could feel the tremendous amount of respect they had for me as their coach, especially when I schooled them in a pick-up game on the court,” she quips.

“Through studying the nature of the human brain, I have become a reader of people, a skill that developed in the classroom but cemented on the court.”

Women’s Basketball

7

Ashley also saw firsthand the power of teamwork through this experience. With a team that included three hearing-impaired students, Ashley was challenged to form a cohesive unit. Yet through her emphasis on posi-tive thinking and shared responsibility, as well as commit-ment and accountability, her players found both personal and shared success, giving Ashley the drive to pursue coaching opportunities in the future.

Ashley plans on applying to graduate school for sports psychology after returning to Middlebury next fall to student teach and coach. With eventual goals of coach-ing at the collegiate level or perhaps counseling athletes through traumatic experiences, Ashley hopes to contrib-ute to the maturation processes of other athletes. “I’m independent now,” says Ashley. “I’m confident in who I am and who I have become through the character growth I have achieved as a part of a team at Middlebury. I am stronger and more mentally prepared for all of my future endeavors.”

Women’s Basketball

Ashley Barron at a Glance

Hometown Brockton, Massachusetts

Major

Psychology

MinorTeacher’s Education

PositionShooting Guard

Favorite Place on Campus Her Ross Townhouse

Favorite Course J-Term Internship at

Middlebury Union Middle School

Favorite OpponentsAmherst and Norwich

Excited about this Season:Fast Breaks and a New Offense

Alumni Athletes Fight AIDS/HIV with Grassroot Soccer

Miles beyond the Middlebury campus, in Kimberley, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town—cities in South Africa—a number of

former Middlebury athletes are working with Grassroot Soccer (GRS), a Norwich, Vermont-based NGO that uses the power of soccer to fight HIV and AIDS. The organization’s objective is to reduce the stigma often surrounding the virus and promote awareness among area youth.

Molly Turco ’04, Nick Colacchio ’05, Kellan Florio ’05, Alex Elias ’08, Dave LaRocca ’08, and Kim Ken-nedy ’08 have all partnered with GRS as field interns to teach the GRS curriculum to community role models, who then pass along the information to the youth in their communities. Additionally, Alex and Dave, currently based out of Kimberley, are organizing a citywide World AIDS Day event that will combine a 16-team youth soccer tournament with free AIDS/HIV counseling and testing. Alex, a former captain and soccer midfielder at Middle-bury, explains, “GRS has provided me with an incredible opportunity to use my passion for soccer to actually make a difference in the critical fight against this devastating disease.” (continued on page 8)

Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont 05753 www.middlebury.eduwww.middleburyinitiative.org

T he most notable renovation project in athletics this year was the reconstruction of the Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium, home to the football and men’s lacrosse

teams. A state-of-the-art, fully synthetic field with em-bedded football and lacrosse lines replaced the dete-riorating grass surface to create one of the best playing surfaces in Division III athletics. The underlying drain-age system was completely restored, in addition to a widening of the field and the installation of a film plat-form and new scoreboards. The natural berm on the east side of the field was maintained to serve as an additional viewing area for spectators.

After a successful season on the surface this fall for the football team, Dave Campbell ’00, head coach of the men’s lacrosse team, eagerly awaits play on the new field

this spring. “Youngman Field is one of the most spectac-ular venues in college lacrosse. With the new synthetic field, we’re going to be able to practice and play all of our games in Alumni Stadium,” Coach Campbell says. “As an alum who was fortunate enough to play in many games overlooking the Green Mountains, I’m truly excited to be able to share that experience once again with our team.”

Middlebury remains committed to enhancing its athletic facilities. In addition to the Youngman project, the South Street Pitch was renovated for the men’s soc-cer team and the Proctor tennis courts were resurfaced in the summer of 2007. Additionally, new lighting was installed in Nelson Arena, and the Pepin Gymnasium surface was revamped this past summer to improve fa-cilities for all Middlebury student-athletes.

Completion: Youngman Field Restoration

Kellan Florio ’05, a soccer midfielder and alpine skier, has taken a year off from investment banking to volunteer in Port Elizabeth. With his passion for sport and his urge to do something more mean-ingful, Kellan found a perfect solution in GRS and work in a “fun and engaging learning environment.”

This alumni involvement in GRS demonstrates the widespread influence of Middlebury athletics and the steadfast friendships that form between teammates. Dave LaRocca ’08 recalls, “This year Alex, Kellan, and I often found ourselves awake at three in the morning watching spotty webcasts of Middlebury playoff games. Our excite-ment in watching the Middlebury soccer family compete and continue to grow will never cease. It is something I will always be a part of.”

Grassroot Soccer (GRS)

“GRS has provided me with an incredible opportunity to use my passion for soccer to actually make a difference in the critical fight against this devastating disease.”

—Alex Elias ’08

(continued from page 7)