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University Daily Kansan
Friday, October 24.1975
7
Competitive desire lures women athletes
For Karen Fleeger, gymnastics is a way
express how she feels without having to
Fleacher, a junior, began her career as a gymnasit at Lawrence High School. In addition to participating in gymnastics, she also works.
"I can't take afternoon classes. I work and that cuts down on my time," she said. "Sometimes I have a hard time getting labs since they are mostly offered in the afternoons. It's also hard to find time to study."
Despite the inconveniences she faces because of her participation in gymnastics, Fleger said the sport provided her with an opportunity to do something she liked.
"It KEEPES ME IN SHAPE and relieves my frustrations." she said.
Gymnastics may relieve Fleener's frustrations, but sports can also be a source of frustration according to Karen Schmelner, the former head coach of the women's basketball team last winter.
"Last year we won five and lost 20 of our
schools. Scholars found me frustrated, but I
fragranted it, telling me that I was
key player, but I kept asking myself, 'How could I be a key player if we're losing?'
"There were times when I thought about quitting, but I stuck with it and I'm glad that I did. It gave me lots of experience and insight for life. Now, if I'm having trouble with school or something, I can face it better."
SCNELLER SAID THAT her par-
hockey jacket was made by a hocky
beloved kid, make many friends.
"Most of my friends are on the team," she said. "When I go to field hockey meets I see some of the friends I've made playing basketball."
"Being in contact with other people and their views gives you confidence."
Schneeller said she thought the confidence she had gained on the playing field would help her in her major, recreational therapy, and give her job involved a lot of contact with people.
Sports has always been a part of Schneller's life. One of 12 children, Schneller said she had always competed with her six brothers. She began competing
in city programs when she was in the fifth grade.
"I WANTED TO COME TO KU to play because they had money and traveling," she said, as her brothers all put their hands on him, but he couldn't come to the college level. They really look up to me."
Rachel Case Sports Writer
Schneeller said her biggest thrill was finding a group of 6,000 people watching University with 6,000 people watching.
"I've never played harder in my life," she said. "You want to draw interest, because if you see a good athlete, it draws your interest. I wasn't trying to show off, but rather to encourage and to see their name in the paper. I wanted to play, a good game to please myself."
Schneeller said that basketball was a warning experience that made her feel that she was better at playing.
Steel Photo by GEORGE MILLENER
Kirsten's at Hillcrest Co-ordinates for all occasions
Karen Schneller prepares to hit field hockey shot
Therma Jac Intuitions Joyce Trio Jack Winter Talbott Knits 9th & Iowa at Hillcrest Go Big Blue
Laurie Cook, Eureka senior, participates in cross country and swimming at KU. She is an avid golfer.
Cook said that participation in sports had been empowered and helped, her 'belief in friendships'.
"EVERY TIME YOU FOUL, it teaches you," she said. "You learn not to, your life." **WHERE IS YOUR LINK?**
Cook said that sports was a test of character. She said she thought that people who were not good at sports
"I love to exercise. I'm a health nut. If I exercise every day, I feel better at night."
"I like to work hard and reach goals," she said. "I like to make my body work and to make my muscles get sore. I like to see myself become better."
"I LIKE TO COMPETE," she said. "I like people who to work hard and win." She said that there were some women who didn't like the idea of competition, but that
"There are some men who don't like competition," she said.
Cook said she had some problems last year because her roommates couldn't get enough.
"They couldn't understand why I would come home just dead. They didn't know why I did it. After a while I didn't know why I did it." she said.
Cook described sports as "something that's always taken up my time."
"When I came up here as a freshman, I heard they had a team game and I decided to try to make it. I've ended up majoring in P.E., and I had never even thought of majoring in P.E. when I was in high school. Athletics did it."
COOK IS PARTICIPATING in two sports concurrently. After two hours of long distance running and two hours of swimming, they will return to their essential homework and then go to be*
"IVE BEEN A TOMBJO my all life," she said. "My junior year in high school they started basketball and track and I participated in both. I played tennis in the summer program and swam at the local pool.
Cook said that athletics forced her to make some sacrifices. She is taking 20 hours this semester and goes to class from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day. She is an eighth grader, and she usually goes to 4:30 p.m. every Friday, a time when she would rather be doing other things.
Most of her studying is done on weekends, she said. Her weekend study time is further limited when she competes in an out-of-town meet, she said.
Beth Boozer, Lawrence sophomore, plays
She attends class from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. then goes to volleyball practice from 2:30 to 5 p.m., shows, eats and studies.
on both the volleyball and golf teams. She said she was following a strict routine.
BOOZER IS ATTENDING KU on a volleyball scholarship this semester, making that sport her primary concern. She said she hadn't had much time to practice golfing, however, the main golf season fell in the spring, after volleyball was over.
Boozer said that volleyball practices were rigorous and that she was often too tired to play. "They're a lot of hard work," Boozer said.
"I make myself study even when I'm tired," Boozer said. "I try to catch up on my studying weekends. When we travel to a campus, the only day I must have to myself is Sunday."
Boozer said the issue of time had come between her and her boyfriend.
"WE'VE TALKED IT OUT," she said. "He's realized how much (sports) means to me. He supports me. He knows he's going to have sacrifice some of our time together. But I think I've got him converted. He went to Emporia for our first volleyball game."
Boozer said that sports had been a big part of her life since she was 10 years old, when her parents taught her how to play golf.
Her whole family is athletic. Her mother is the KU women's golf coach, and both of her parents have been involved in the athletic coaching.
Gail Wagoner, Topeka senior, said she considered swimming for the KU women's swim team to be a continuation of her career and her interest. She said she had been in Amatutech Athletic Union (AAU) programs since she was in elementary school.
"FIVE FELT PUSHED until the last two years," she said. "Since then I have motivated myself. My parents used to say I couldn't go out until I had gone out to the course to practice. Now I realize that they still don't know something I can keep up for the rest of my life."
Boozer said she would like to join the women's pro golf tour some day. Her other ambition is to coach. She said she thought that the team had improved her coaching chances.
LAST YEARS SWIM TEM was very
sad as his team member,
elevens his own water to our
sea.
"We were concerned with helping others to do their best rather than just the overall win," Wagner said. "Everybody was in a hurry, and I was a bia factor in winning the Bie Eight.
"In swimming, you get to benefit from others' experience. Everybody feels good when they do well. If you do poorly, you learn to self-through the learning experience."
BOOZER SAID THAT GOLF gave her the SHOOTER GAME that could accomplish anything others had not.
She said that winning was a source of satisfaction to her, but wasn't the only goal.
"I hope that women's athletics doesn't reach the stage of winning at all costs," Boozer said. "You need a winning program to have your athletes do what they need to have money or contributors."
She said that she thought men's athletics had gone too far with the winning idea. She said she had been taught not to have been caught for recruiting violations. A tennis player, Mary Broadie, Wichita junior, said that winning was stressed on her team, but that playing well was stressed more.
Staff Photo by DON PIERCE
KU's Karen Fleeger works on gymnastics routine
SHE SAID THE UNIVERSITY was really getting its money's worth with Tom Kivisto as women's tennis coach. She said that Kivisto, a former KU basketball standout, had used some of his basketball techniques to "psychse them up."
Broadie said, "He's opened up a whole new psychological angle to the game. He just knows how to get us mentally and physically fired up.
"When you play in a close match you exposed to a lot of extreme emotional stress
that you wouldn't normally encounter. You learn about how people react."
BROADIE IS NO STRANGER to tennis.
Her father, a nationally ranked player,
taught her to play at age eight. Broadie
said that tennis took a lot of time, but was
rewarding to her because it was something
she wanted to do.
"I'm receiving good coaching and I'm improving," she said. "That makes me feel good. I place academics ahead of tennis, but I make sure I escape when I get frustrated or bored."
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