Dreaming of Olympic Gold
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!