Crimson Commentary

Harvard Varsity Club NEWS & VIEWS of Harvard Sports Volume 49 Issue No. 1 www.varsityclub.harvard.edu August 30, 2006 AUGUSTUS THORNDIKE, MD A Legacy of Vigilant Care for the Athlete by Laura Duffy he brought to each clinical encounter. Massachuse�s General Hospital Freelance Writer His keen intelligence, work ethic and understated humor earned him the love At one time, participation in sports was associated with a and respect of those who had the good greater degree of peril than it is today. In this earlier era, athletes fortune to know him. played without protective gear, they frequently played hurt and, in general, were expected to “tough it out”, regardless of physical Young Dr. Thorndike: Early Influences ailments and risk. As a result, collegiate and professional athletes Thorndike was born in Boston in alike were vulnerable to serious injuries that o�en caused perma- 1896 and lived with his parents and four nent damage and, in the case of football, an occasional fatality. siblings. A�er studying at the Country That was before Augustus Thorndike, MD, brought focus Day School in Newton, he a�ended and discipline to the care of Harvard University athletes. Through Harvard College, leaving in his sopho- his influence, reputation and noted textbooks, he shared his more year to serve in the Naval Reserve expertise with a large audience. A talented orthopaedic surgeon, during World War I. Upon returning compassionate physician and gi�ed administrator, Thorndike to Boston, he married Olivia Lowell in helped shape a new field — sports medicine. He developed new 1917, graduated from Harvard Medical techniques and rules of play that became gospel. By advocating School in 1921, and began his residency for injury prevention; strengthening the roles played by trainers, at the MGH. physical therapists and dietitians; and by espousing the impor- During this period he caught the tance of preserving the individual athlete’s overall health, Thorn- a�ention of Harvey Cushing, MD, the dike devised a philosophy of vigilant care for all athletes. renowned neurosurgeon and HMS professor. Cushing urged his At the outset of World War II, Thorndike was made com- talented student to study surgery at the prestigious Karolinska manding officer of a 1,000-bed hospital in Brisbane, Australia Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, for a year, an experience that was —the largest overseas hospital during the war. Thus, his knowl- a highlight of Thorndike’s early life. edge, experience and impressive organizational skills benefited an entirely new population: wounded and disabled soldiers. At the Center of a New Field For all of his accomplishments, he was a modest man. Family With a growing family at home, Thorndike immersed himself members and colleagues agree that he never sought the limelight. into his surgical practice. He operated at both Children’s Hospital However, all eyes were on “Dr. Gus,” as he was known to many, in Boston and MGH, taught at HMS and began publishing papers. whenever he raced, black bag in hand, onto the field at Harvard His interests extended well beyond the operating room. Notes Stadium to care for an injured player. Away from the on-field from his 50th anniversary class report describe how Thorndike drama, Thorndike’s patients, whether college athletes or disabled was the driving force behind the development of a unique enter- veterans, observed the intense concentration, warmth and concern Continued on page 3 Harvard Picked As Preseason Favorite Dawson Leading the Way for Crimson Gridders by Chuck Sullivan understand the true value of preseason polls. Director of Athletic Communications “I guess I’m not surprised that we were picked where we were,” said Murphy in advance of the start of training camp. “But As he took his seat during the Ivy League’s annual football we still have a lot to prove and a lot of questions to answer.” preseason media day event in the clubhouse of The Course at Harvard’s place in the preseason poll was no doubt influ- Yale, Harvard football enced by the return of 12 starters from last year’s team, which coach Tim Murphy went 7-3 and remained alive in the Ivy League championship race glanced at a copy of the until the last week of the season. Oh, and one of those starters press release that was le� happens to be the best player in the league. Cli�on Dawson ‘07 dspics.com at each of the coaches’ Senior running back Cli�on Dawson (Scarborough, ONT), tables and raised his eye- who has already overhauled Harvard’s record book, has a chance brows. to do the same at the league level in 2006 as he leads a group of The release detailed five returning starters on offense. Dawson, who was chosen as one the results of the league’s of 16 players to watch in the race for the Walter Payton Award as preseason media poll the top player in Division I-AA, has rushed for 3,628 career yards — a survey that listed and 40 touchdowns in his three years with the Crimson. That Murphy’s Crimson as a leaves him just 1,087 yards shy of the Ivy League’s rushing record comfortable favorite in held by Cornell’s Ed Marinaro since 1971. Dawson needs 12 rush- the race for the 2006 Ivy ing touchdowns to hit the league standard set by Brown’s Nick League title. Hartigan last year. On one hand, Dawson is hardly alone on offense, however. Senior wide Murphy appreciated receiver Corey Mazza (Thousand Oaks, CA) returns to the lineup the respect given to his a�er he was limited by injury to just two games in 2005. With 13 program, which has won career touchdown receptions, Mazza is the clear No. 1 receiver two Ivy championships on a group that saw a number of players step up in his absence a in the last five years while year ago. taking second in the other The task of delivering the football to Harvard’s talented wide- three seasons. On the outs will fall on junior Chris Pizzo�i (Reading, MA), who was other hand, Murphy has expected to challenge for the starting spot last season, but was coached long enough to Continued on page 6 F�� S�� P�� M��’� S�� W��’� S�� T�� H��: T�� H��: • Harvard returns 19 le�erwinners, six starters and 65 percent of • The 2006 season marks the debut of Erica Walsh as head coach its goal-scoring from last year’s team that finished 6-8-2. of the Crimson. Walsh, coach of the U.S. Under-17 National • The Crimson plays seven home games, starting with the Team, spent last season as an assistant coach at Florida State, Harvard Invitational Sept. 8 and 10 and featuring a Sept. 16 where she helped the Seminoles advance to the NCAA College visit from No. 14 Duke and a Sept. 30 game against Yale. Four Cup semifinals. Walsh won a pair of Ivy titles as the head other 2005 NCAA tournament teams are on Harvard’schedule. coach of Dartmouth from 2000-2002. • Ivy League Player of the Year Charles Altchek (Rye, NY) • SoccerBuzz Magazine ranked Harvard fi�h in its preseason returns as Harvard’s senior captain. He scored 11 goals in 2005. Northeast Region poll. The Crimson went 8-5-3 a year ago and • Ma� Hoff ‘08 (St. Louis, MO) and Michael Fucito ‘09 (West- returns 14 le�erwinners and nine starters from a squad with ford, MA), both former Ivy League Rookies of the Year, rejoin the No. 6 scoring defense in the nation (0.47 goals against per the squad a�er missing last season. The pair combined for 20 game). points in 2004. • Second team All-Ivy selection Megan Merri� (Northridge, CA) and honorable mention pick Erin Wylie (Pleasanton, CA) lead the Crimson offense. Wylie notched five goals and an F�� H�� assist in her first season on campus, while Merri� had four T�� H��: goals and two helpers as a sophomore. • Ten home games and five contests against top-20 preseason Jennifer DeAngelis ‘07 teams highlight the 2006 schedule. The Crimson travels to No. dspics.com 3 Duke Oct. 1. • Harvard allowed just 1.45 goals against per game last season to rank 15th nationally in scoring defense. Sophomore goalie Kelly Knoche (San Diego, CA) made the 2005 All-Ivy second team. She and starting backs Audrey Ziomek (Villanova, PA), Jennifer DeAngelis (Wescosville, PA) and Devon Shapiro (Dedham, MA) return to anchor another strong back line. • Senior Gretchen Fuller (Shaker Heights, OH) ne�ed three goals, including two game-winners, last season and co-captains this year’s squad with Ziomek. W��’� � M��’� C�� C�� W��’� V�� T�� H��: T�� H��: • The Sept. 9 Fordham Fiasco at New York’s Van Cortlandt Park • All but two players from the 2005 squad are back, seeking a marks the beginning of the Harvard cross country season, as return to the form that brought a share of the 2005 Ivy title. well as the tenure of Jason Saretsky as the Crimson’s head • The Crimson welcomes two NCAA tournament participants— coach of cross country and track. Binghamton and Long Island— for its season-opening • The Crimson women are paced by 2004 All-American Lindsey Harvard Invitational Sept. 8-9. Harvard then makes a trip to Scherf (Scarsdale, NY). The junior took fi�h place at the 2005 California for three matches the following weekend. Heptagonal Championships and 53rd at NCAAs. Senior • Second team All-Ivy pick Laura Mahon (Moraga, CA) and Leslie Irvine (Cincinnati, OH) serves as the team captain. fellow junior Suzie Trimble (San Juan Capistrano, CA) lead • Senior Sean Barre� (San Diego, CA) leads the Harvard men.

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