Bean's Bearings : June 2022
From the Desk of Al Bean, Director of Athletics

Today, June 23, 2022, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of landmark legislation that will forever be known as Title IX.  Originally an Educational Amendment, Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity) in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.  This act, which has far reaching power and implication, is best known for its impact on athletics at all levels.
 
Few pieces of legislation have had greater impact than Title IX.  While change has come slowly, as is often the case, Title IX opened the door for girls and women to play sports and be provided opportunities comparable to boys and men.  This was, without question, necessary legislation but the application of the law has been uneven and the struggles continue today despite significant enhancements and changing attitudes.  For purposes of this writing, suffice it to say, that there is great reason to celebrate the impact of Title IX and the changes that have been brought about for girls and women in sports.
 
As I look at USM, I'm proud that the Huskies were ahead of their time in developing and supporting sports for women.  USM President Ken Brooks and Athletic Director Richard Costello hired Paula Hodgdon in 1967 and charged her with starting a program for women.  Five years prior to the enactment of Title IX, Paula, long considered a pioneer in women's athletics, set out to build the foundation for women's sports for the Huskies.  It started slowly with just a handful of sports, but during her 31 year tenure from 1967-1997, Hodgdon would set the course and help orchestrate and oversee tremendous growth in opportunities for women. 
 
Hodgdon coached many of the sports initially and also served as associate professor of education, teaching physical education courses in the college of education.  Over time, she was promoted to Coordinator of Women's Athletics and eventually Director of Athletics while making her mark primarily as a highly successful field hockey coach, bringing the Huskies first team to the NCAA Final Four in 1987.  She was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in addition to the Husky Hall of Fame.  Paula has remained active at USM as member of the Husky Hall of Fame Committee, the Gender Equity Committee and has assisted with several special events and projects.  To this day, she continues to attend USM home field hockey games and I look forward to our sideline conversations.
 
As we celebrate Title IX, I have had an opportunity to thoughtfully reflect upon our current and past staff members and the impact they have had in working with our student-athletes and on the success of our overall athletic program.  Kim Turner would clearly join Paula Hodgdon on Mount Rushmore.  Kim begins her 15^th year this fall and serves as Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator; I'm a lucky man to have her working by my side each day.  Few people are as revered by students, parents and staff alike as Kim Turner.  What she brings to the table every day is immeasurable.  Kim works directly with students every day one-on-one and helps to support their personal development.  She handles countless responsibilities or the department, supervises and mentors staff and interacts with key departments across the University.  Kim is the complete package; a consummate professional, a role model, mentor, confidant, an incredibly committed and hard-working professional and a rock for those around her.  She positively impacts everyone and has helped to raise the aspirations of all students at USM but particularly young women.  So many of our female student-athletes who aspire to work in college athletics after graduation leave saying, "I want to be just like Kim Turner when I get my opportunity."  I can say with great confidence, they are right on the mark. 
 
Bonny Brown-Denico was a two-sport standout for the Huskies in field hockey and softball, selected as an NCAA All-American and played on Paula Hodgdon's NCAA Final Four team in 1987.  Recruited back to her alma mater to coach field hockey and softball, she has now worked at USM for 32 years and is entering her 25th season as head field hockey coach, following in her mentor's footsteps.  Paula and Bonny are the only two coaches in the history of the USM field hockey program.  Bonny brings kindness and compassion to the Costello Sports Complex every single day.  In addition to being very skilled as a coach and wearing several hats for the department in addition to coaching field hockey and serving as an assistant with softball, including serving as scheduling coordinator for both games and contests and for athletic facilities as well as teaching in the Athletic Coaching minor.  Bonny helps to build a positive community and environment for the department and her team members.  She is welcoming and caring and her players greatly enjoy the team environment whether she is challenging them or supporting them through difficult times.  Bonny's sense of family and her expectations of her players are evident every day and she makes a difference for our student-athletes as a leader and role model.
 
Cheryl Nash has been my silent but truly amazing partner for 30 years.  Cheryl was hired as the department's administrative assistant in 1993, the same year I was promoted to athletic director.  Cheryl has played an enormous role in the department's success, yet few people know it outside of our staff and in several key administrative areas of the University.  Cheryl was promoted to Business Manager several years ago and is clearly a wizard with the numbers.  I sleep well knowing she is watching over all of our various accounts and budgets.  But aside from her prowess as Business Manager, Cheryl has impacted so many areas of our department and has been a creative and effective problem solver, working with many areas of the University including the CFO's office, Human Resources, Advancement and many more.  Truthfully, I would be lost without Cheryl and how she prepares information and reports for me so I may advocate for our student-athletes, coaches and the department.  Her contributions to the athletic department are very significant and she is an unsung hero.
 
Christina Cracolici joined the Huskies staff 19 years ago as a media associate working with long-time sports information director BL Elfring.  Over the years, she advanced to assistant director of athletic media relations and is now beginning her second year as Director of Athletic Communications.  Christina was a standout student-athlete at Thomas College and brought solid professional experiences with her to her initial post at USM.  Christina is a very skilled professional, has embraced new media, and through her efforts, the Huskies have built a very strong social media and multi-media presence.  Her work and creativity impacts nearly everything we do from the daily reporting of contests to fundraising, marketing, recruitment, special events and promotion of the entire program.  Christina has a great sense of creativity, is very committed to her work, our programs and our student-athletes and has significantly raised the level of our entire communication initiative.  She also works very closely with many students interested in the profession and helps to guide and mentor them and advance their skills.  Christina has made a real difference for our program.
 
Sarah Jamo was a record-setting pitcher and served as team captain for the Maine Black Bears during her outstanding collegiate playing career which included representing the United States in international play in the Czech Republic.  Jamo begins her 12^th year with the Huskies this fall and has helped to rebuild the Huskies into one of the most competitive softball programs in the New England Region.  In 2021, the Huskies advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Jamo is an outstanding teacher of the game, a highly sought after clinician and has raised the bar for the Huskies who now challenge for Little East Conference honors on an annual basis.  In addition to her work on the diamond at the Huskies beautiful softball stadium, Jamo teaches in our athletic coaching minor, works directly with first-year student-athletes as a developmental advisor, oversees the operation of our study table for entering student-athletes and plays an important role in our game and event management responsibilities.  Sarah is an outstanding leader, role model and mentor for our student-athletes.
 
Diane Newell was a standout player and former volleyball captain at the College of the Holy Cross and is now beginning her 9^th season as head coach of the Huskies.  She successfully coached at the high school level in Massachusetts before moving to Maine and joining the Huskies talented staff.  Diane has greatly elevated the overall level of play and competitiveness of the volleyball program since her arrival and has raised the expectations of all participating student-athletes.  She is an outstanding teacher of the game, a top recruiter of talented student-athletes and sets the bar very high for her players.  The Huskies have shown steady improvement under her direction and have made great strides in the talented Little East Conference.  Newell is a strong leader, works hard on behalf of her team members and pushes them to achieve in all facets of their lives.  Diane started as a part-time coach with the Huskies but has now advanced in her position and has taken on more responsibilities within the department including teaching in the coaching minor and, as a result, has made a greater impact on the overall program.
 
Samantha Norris begins her 9^th season with the Huskies this fall, her 8^th as head coach of the women's basketball program.  Norris played her collegiate basketball at Southern New Hampshire and Colby College where she served as team captain before entering the coaching ranks.  Following graduation, Samantha worked as an assistant at Smith College and then gained valuable experience at the University of Vermont.  She spent a year as an assistant to former Huskies coach Gary Fifield before being hired as head coach the following year.  Norris has put her own stamp on the Huskies program since taking over as head coach.  Under her direction, the Huskies have been regular qualifiers in the Little East Conference championship tournament and have challenged for top honors.  In addition to her role as head coach, Norris has played a key role in the personal development of countless student-athletes.  She serves as NCAA Life Skills Coordinator, teaches in the Athletic Coaching minor, served as the advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and plays a major role in working with the Career Hub and creating the very successful PackChat programs.  Her support of our student-athletes on and off the court makes a significant impact for the community.
 
Kelleigh O'Neill begins her 8th year at USM, this time as our head athletic trainer and athletic healthcare administrator.  She earned her undergraduate degree at Springfield College and her masters at the University of Oregon before entering the AT profession.  Kelleigh has served as an athletic trainer and as a preceptor for students in the athletic training major, working under the direction of both Matt Gerken and Angela Potter.  Like all of our athletic trainers, Kelleigh carries a heavy responsibility for the overall health and wellness of our student-athletes and is particularly challenged during the overlap seasons.  The daily care of our 500 participants is a big job and each of our trainers is assigned to various teams for regular coverage in addition to game and practice coverage, accessing injuries and working with students on both prehab and rehabilitation.  The past couple of years managing Covid, including handling the bulk of the regular testing of athletes has been particularly challenging.  Kelleigh will also assume the responsibility of working with our partners in health care which includes: USM Student Health, Maine Medical Partners and Saco Bay Sports Physical Therapy.  Kelleigh is exceptionally skilled at her craft, is extremely organized and is committed to professional development for herself and the staff that works with her.  In addition to working with college athletes, Kelleigh has gained international experience working with the Track Cycling Chinese Olympic Team in 2018.
 
Angela Mallis will begin her third season as head coach of the Huskies women's lacrosse team.  Mallis is a former standout player and graduate of Wheaton College whose teams had a history of success during her playing career.  Prior to assuming the head coaching position, Angela served as an assistant coach for three years at Springfield College and for one year previously with the Huskies.  She is deeply involved in club lacrosse and has coached countless young girls as they developed their skills and moved toward high school and collegiate play.  Mallis is a strong teacher of the game and demands a high level of play and commitment from her team members.  She has quickly moved the Huskies forward to be one of the strongest teams in the highly competitive Little East Conference.  Angela was originally hired as a part-time coach by the Huskies but has become full-time with the added responsibility of equipment manager for the department.  With the move, she has been able to provide additional time to her student-athletes and is building strong relationships to better serve their growth and development.
 
Kaitlin Bouchard joined the Huskies staff a year ago after earning her degree in Sport Management from Emmanuel College in Boston.  The South Portland native played softball for the Saints, served as captain and was a team leader on and off the field.  Kaitlin serves the department as an administrative assistant and has quickly established herself as an extremely capable and dependable employee.  She has handled numerous responsibilities and deadlines with great success and is a go-to person for the department staff.  Kaitlin handles travel including bus arrangements, hotels, per diem as well as game officials.  Her responsibilities are quite broad and her impact on the smooth operation of the department is significant.  Kaitlin was also asked to join the staff and serve as an assistant softball coach this past year and greatly enjoys her role and her time on the field.  She has been an outstanding addition to the Huskies staff.
 
This past year, Angela Potter (athletic trainer – 12 years), Erin Hatch (sports psychologist – 8 years) and Lisa Keller (administrative assistant – 6 years) all moved on to other positions and new challenges.  Each of those staff members figured prominently in the success of our athletic program and they will most certainly be missed.  Over the years, there have been many more outstanding and impactful female staff members who have helped to make a difference for our entire athletic program and have opened the door wider for opportunities for girls and women.  They are all to be thanked for their many contributions and support of our student-athletes in addition to many men who have effectively coached women's sports as well as administrators and staff who have been dedicated to supporting the growth of women's sports and opportunities for student-athletes.
 
One of the most important factors in the success of our athletic program is building and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment, a caring and committed community and a sense of belonging for those who are a part of our program.  Through participation in our intercollegiate athletic program, student-athletes have been encouraged, guided, nurtured and challenged both physically and mentally.  Our staff, including this very talented group of women, has served as role models and mentors and have empowered our athletes to raise their aspirational level, have confidence in themselves and be empowered to reach high and succeed.  They have been encouraged to be confident, strive for excellence in all that they do, understand the transferrable skills that they have learned through participation in sports and carry those with them in all future endeavors.  Our goal from the outset is to provide the knowledge skills and experiences to prepare our student-athletes for a lifetime of success.  My thanks to this group for helping to make that happen for our student-athletes.
 
Go Huskies!