Varsity Club News

Being a Good Sport

At the unveiling of our mascot in 1977, then President Duggan stated that “the Belles was an appropriate name for the teams because of their lady-like charm and their cast iron will to win.” Still very true today, our women compete with a “cast iron will to win” and do so with class! Promoting a level of sportsmanship befitting of a “Belle” is an important value supported by Saint Mary’s Athletic Department!   

Both the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and the NCAA are solid partners in promoting good sportsmanship. The MIAA has just re-written our “Sportsmanship Statement” that is read by either our sports information director or a member of our Student Athlete Advisory Committee prior to every home MIAA event. This new statement incorporates the NCAA sportsmanship tag line “Be loud, be proud, be positive”.

“The MIAA and all its members are committed to good sportsmanship.  No derogatory speech, no intimidating actions, no possession or consumption of alcohol will be tolerated at athletic events.  Please support all participants and officials in a positive manner. Be loud, be proud, and especially, be positive.”

Besides reading the Sportsmanship statement prior to the start of each home contest, immediately following the team introductions, our athletes shake hands with their opponents. This same procedure of shaking hands with the opposing team is followed at the end of each contest – win or lose.

The MIAA received a Sportsmanship Grant this year from the NCAA. They gave each member school including Saint Mary’s five-hundred dollars to spend on sportsmanship initiatives. We spent a portion of our grant money creating opportunities to bring our women and their opponents together on a more social level. During the Golf Jamboree that we earned hosting rights for this spring, we filled coolers with snacks and purchased drinks to place along the course to offer teams these refreshments during their competition. We also used the grant during the dual home event for softball and tennis to host a breakfast in the athletic facility for all team members and coaches to share, as well as setting up coolers with snacks and drinks for both teams during their contests. All teams were very appreciative of the refreshments and graciously thanked our student-athletes and our coaches for the welcome and the positive atmosphere created by the sharing of refreshments.  

Enlisting the help of our fans in promoting sportsmanship is critical to our success! Our fans inspire our women to compete at the highest level by their spirited cheers and support. Our expectation is that our fans will cheer for our team as opposed to cheering against our opponent. We are so fortunate to have a classy group of fans that are loyal and supportive of our women and coaches! We ask that you continue to model these high standards of sportsmanship and help us in our goal of developing true Belles!