Our Celebration! We Gather Each Year to Celebrate the Many Opportunities Women and Girls Throughout the Commonwealth and the Nation Have to Compete in Sports
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On behalf of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the women of the New Agenda: Northeast Welcome to our Celebration! We gather each year to celebrate the many opportunities women and girls throughout the Commonwealth and the nation have to compete in sports. We will: Welcome our keynote speaker, Attorney General Maura Healey. Honor three women with the Massachusetts Women in Athletics Distinguished Service Award for their generous contributions of time and talent to female student athletes. Recognize our three student essay award winners and hear our First Place winner read her essay. The more than 300 female athletes here today were chosen to represent the whole student body of their respective schools. We congratulate them on this honor! Reminders We are privileged to have use of this dignified and historical venue for our celebration. Please be thoughtful and respectful in your use of the building today. Athletes: Please remove the colored sticker/ seat number from the back of your chair before leaving to assist us with cleanup. Thanks! If your school ordered Commemorative T-shirts, they may be picked up in the small room near the top of the stairs at the entrance to the main floor. There are a few shirts available on a first-come, first-served basis. T-shirts are $20 each. 1 Program Welcome Emcee: Sherry Bryant, MIAA Associate Director National Anthem Singer: Lois Dwira, Worcester Technical High School Greetings from Advocates of Women in Sports Sherry Bryant, MIAA Associate Director Marcia Crooks, New Agenda: Northeast Ali Rheahume, MAHPERD, Vice President/Athletics Presentations Gubernatorial Proclamation Presenter: Vicki Caburian, Lincoln-Sudbury High School Massachusetts Women in Athletics Distinguished Service Award Winners Presenter: Naomi Martin, Athletic Director, Lexington High School Honorees: Mary Ryan, Rockport Middle/High School Tanya Sullivan, Middleborough High School Mary Lou Thimas, Coach, Administrator, Official and Women’s Athletics Advocate GWS Essay Award Winners Presenter: Molly Brogie, Sutton High School; Chair, MIAA Student Advisory Committee Honorees: Third Place: Emily Rodricks, Sturgis Charter Public School East Second Place: Lily Stewart, Ipswich High School First Place: Sarah Dunne, Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Keynote Speaker Speaker: Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General Recognition of Today’s Honored Student Athletes Raffle Prizes! 2 Massachusetts Women in Athletics Distinguished Service Awards 2015 Mary Ryan Athletic Director, Coach, Teacher Rockport Middle/High School It's difficult to crystallize one thing from Rockport Middle/High School constituents who have been influenced by Mary Ryan, but from many pages of testimonials, two nuggets emerge. One is that her positivity is amazing and infectious. The other is that she is a "class act." "When asked to describe what Mary has meant to the school, the secretary in the Superintendent's Office said, 'She does it all,'" said Principal Philip Conrad. "When Mary speaks, she has the attention of everyone gathered. Her colleagues and I know that she has considered carefully the impact her decisions will have on the lives of our young women today and in the future." Mary, or "Ry," as she is known, has led initiatives on the national, state and local level dealing with wellness, alcohol and drug prevention, tobacco cessation, adaptive physical education, bullying awareness, hazing and coaching education. She has coached field hockey, basketball and softball, and has been named Cape Ann League Coach of the Year on several occasions. At the state level, she has served on the MIAA Eligibility Review Board and the Field Hockey and Softball committees. Mary is a member of NIAAA and holds the designation of Certified Master Athletic Administrator. According to Tom Gallagher, Director of Athletics at Ipswich High School, "This is the highest level of certification attainable within our profession and one that is currently held by a select few in Massachusetts." As for her positivity, this year's field hockey captains Jessica Collins and Aliza Ottenheimer describe how it applies to game time: "We do a pregame ritual that pumps us up and brightens our attitude. This not only bonds the team but prepares our mind to go out and play our hardest. Her positivity also shines through at our halftime meetings If we are losing, she tells us to forget about the first half--which is history--and to focus on the next half, which we are able to control." Ex-student Liz Saville said, "I miss walking down the hall and hearing Ry's contagious laugh, and I miss frequenting her office when I need a pep talk. " From Melissa (Rowell) Larocque, Class of 1999, "As I type this letter I realize that 15 years after graduating I am wearing my Rockport High School Field Hockey sweatshirt." On her coach: "Mary Ryan is deeply invested in learning what makes players tick, and then uses that knowledge to get the most out of each and every girl-- to the point where I, and many of my friends, became better than we ever knew we could be. Better players on the field, better captains, better teammates, better people. "The value of sport, the confidence of young women, and the importance of competition are all furthered by the work of Mary Ryan." Tanya Sullivan Softball Coach, Soccer Coach, Adjustment Counselor Middleborough High School Coach Sullivan didn't invent girls softball, but she brought it to the town of Middleborough, and helped it flourish there. According to Middleborough Athletic Director Michael Perry, Coach Sullivan took over a struggling high school team in 1981, and two years later that team won the South Shore League Championship with an 18-0 record. Since that time, Coach Sullivan's softball teams have amassed 459 wins, 14 League Championships and 27 State Tournament appearances. continued on page 4 3 Massachusetts Women in Athletics Distinguished Service Awards 2015 "Tanya recognized inequities early in her career and continues to build strong foundations for her female student athletes to this day," Perry said. To that end, Coach Sullivan and a group of friends created back in the 1980s what is now the flourishing Middleboro Youth Softball Association. As both coach and adjustment counselor, Coach Sullivan works to ensure that the "students in Middleborough Public Schools always have the same opportunities, no matter what their sex, religion, income level or sexual preference" Perry added. To that end, she has developed at the school a chapter of SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), a chapter of GSA (Gay Student Alliance), a Peer Mediation group and a Peer Leadership group. Her groups provided a variety of community service projects: visiting nursing homes, holiday food and toy collection, babysitting, anti-bullying workshops, recycling programs, and bringing MHS female leaders to the Massachusetts Women's Conference over the past 10 years. Coach Sullivan's many initiatives have required much fundraising over the years, and she has been in the center of those activities, organizing and working to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in trips such as Spring Training at Disney World, or just to participate at all. "Coach Sullivan's philosophy was that every child who had the desire to play ball should have that opportunity no matter what their ability," said former student Ruth Moffatt, who also coached for the youth league. "If a child wanted to play...no child should be turned away for inability to pay a registration fee." While known as a demanding coach, Coach Sullivan also knew how to wrap up a season with a pool party at the town pool. Thoroughly knowing and truly caring for her student athletes is part of the key to her success. According to former Marlborough Athletic Trainer Tara Morano, "I have watched Tanya support, hug, laugh, cry, motivate and genuinely care for her athletes over the years, throughout their high school careers and beyond." Emily Bailou, a player on the 1999 Patriot League Champion Softball Team from Middleborough, said, "During that season, Coach Sullivan instilled in us a winning spirit that has influenced our adult successes as medical, military, business, and legal professionals; mothers, caregivers, wives, and mentors; church and educational leaders; and some that carry her legacy as the next generation of coaches." As Morano sums up Coach Sullivan: "Behind her winning record in softball lies an inspiring character who truly deserves this award." Mary Lou Thimas Coach, Administrator, Official, Advocate of Women in Sports Mary Lou's career covers various towns, sports, and disciplines within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but, according to Falmouth Athletic Director Kathleen Burke, it has been "dedicated to athletics, with a focus on increasing the opportunities for female athletes." As an undergraduate at Bridgewater State (College at the time), Mary Lou competed in field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball. Upon graduation, she worked in the Quincy Public Schools, organizing that district's first girls' basketball team. After earning her Masters at BSC, she returned to the school as Director of Athletics for Women (1978-82), moving on to Associate Director of Athletics (1982-87), all the while also coaching field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball. The BSC field hockey team flourished under Mary Lou’s leadership, advancing to post-season play each year from 1977-86. She then served as Athletic Director for both Framingham North and South High Schools, and then joined the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) continued on page 5 4 Massachusetts Women in Athletics Distinguished Service Awards 2015 as an Assistant Commissioner. She culminated her educational service as Associate Director of Athletics at UMass-Dartmouth, retiring in 2002. Her service as an official is ongoing. :"Her professional calm,” is what former Athletic Director Nancy O'Neil (Lincoln-Sudbury) remembers most about her work with Mary Lou in the Bay State League and on the MIAA Lacrosse Committee.