THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2007
3B
JOHNSON (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournament game, a Southern Illinois cheerleader was dropped after being thrown in the air as part of a stunt. She lay motionless for several minutes before being carried off on a stretcher, but was still cheering as she was taken away.
While this helps protect them, it still takes some of the excitement away from the cheerleaders because they are not allowed to show off all of their skills. This is one of the many dangers that cheerleaders
face every time they put on their uniform and perform for thousands of people.
Along with every practice, the cheerleaders attend every home football and basketball games as well as some volleyball games. They also must cheer at any post-season games that any of the teams may have. Think about it, if a team is losing, they still have to stay upbeat and keep cheering even though you aren't, or they aren't doing their job.
With all the regular practices, the Kansas Cheerleading squad also has to prepare for the national competition it attends annually. This takes months to perfect before performing it for judges.
The squad has already started working with its choreographer, combining ideas for the competition that is held in January. This is like the Super Bowl of cheerleading. Each squad has only one chance to show its athletic skills and creativity, instead of every other sports team that has multiple games in which to compete.
During the summer the squad went to a cheer camp in Milwaukee. First-year squad member Danielle Hanson said they took first in the cheer category and got the leadership award.
"These were both really exciting"
Hanson said.
Across the U.S., many states still do not consider cheerleading a sport. But more colleges are making it one. In 2003, the University of Maryland added cheerleading as a sport and
offered partial scholarships to the athletes. Most colleges and universities offer some sort of scholarship, but usually it is only a couple hundred dollars, enough to cover half of a semester's worth of books.
"It is not a sport at KU, but we still put all this physical effort into it like every other team does," Baxter said.
On one hand if cheerleading is added as a sport, Title IX would take some scholarships away from men's sports to provide some
scholarships for the cheerleaders. On the other hand, many squads have both male and female cheerleaders. Nevertheless these types of concerns will still arise because not every school has male cheerleaders.
Cheerleading is one of the fastest-growing sports for young girls today and is even on ESPN. So why not make it an official sport across the U.S.?
Edited by Luke Morris
VOLLEYBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
game 30-26. Sophomore Sarah Wittenauer served an ace to give Kansas a 26-23 lead and freshman Jenna Kaiser had a kill to give Kansas a comfortable 28-25 lead. Kaiser came in to the game leading the team in kills but erratic play in the second game put Kaiser on the bench and opened the door for Garlington.
"Early in the year, every swing Jenna took was golden," Bechard said. "Now, it's kind of like being in a batting slump where you're just not seeing the ball well. But you'll see a lot of Jenna Kaiser this weekend."
Kansas played its best volleyball during the second match, winning 30-28. Bechard said there was still a lot to work on this week.
"There were some times we looked a little sluggish but we're back home now for a stretch," Bechard said. "We're looking forward to being in our own bed and being in our own gym."
Edited by Rachael Gray
Jon Goering/KANSAN
game notes
HIGH SCHOOL
REUNION
Sophomore Katie Martinicch faced two former high school teammates playing for UMKC. Martinicch, Dani Sperry and Lauren Starks, both of UMKC, all played high school volleyball at Bishop Miege High School in Mission. Bishop Miege won Kansas state volleyball titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
BECHARD HONORED
BEACHARD HONORED Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins presented coach Bechard with a volleyball before the game commemorating Bechard's record win on Saturday against Missouri State. Bechard won his 151st match at Kansas against Missouri State and became the program's all-time leader in volleyball coaching wins. "It's first class all the way here," Bechard said. "I'm just glad I can be part of the show."
COMING SOON Kansas will next see action when they host the Jayhawk Invitational this weekend. Wyoming, St. Peters and Morehead State journey to town to take on the Jayhawks.
COMING SOON
— Rustin Dodd
Brittany Williams, sophomore middle blocker, goes up for a spike over UMKC outside hitter Lauren Starks Tuesday night in the Horesi Family Athletics Center. The KU volleyball team won the match in three games.
KANSAS
Jon Goerina/KANSAN
Emily Brown, senior right-side setter, tips the ball against UMKC during the third game of the volleyball match Tuesday night. KU won the third match 30-28. Brown led the team with 27 assists.
GROWING UP GRINNELL
It's not surprising to find out that after a career filled with milestones Bechard's finest one to date happened with little fanfare. On Saturday, Sept. 1, in front small crowd inside Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Mich., Bechard etched his named into the Kansas volleyball record books. After a 3-1 victory against Missouri State, Bechard notched his 151st career victory at Kansas. He passed former coach Frankie Albitz for the most career wins by a Kansas volleyball coach. Not bad for a guy who wasn't interested in coaching volleyball.
Travel 300 miles west of Lawrence past Topeka, Salina, Russell and Hays and you will run in to Grinnell. With its rural background and population close to 400, Grinnell has always been more of a K-State town. Except for the Bechard family.
BACK TO BARTON
"I got in to some scuffles growing up because of that whole thing," Bechard said. "But we all grew up loving the Javahaws"
Bechard has spent nearly three decades coaching, teaching and molding young people. It's a job that requires a life-time of riding buses, watching film and sacrificing sleep, all while adhering to the coaches code that says the glory always goes to the players.
"Even though the town was small there was always a baseball game in summer and the gym was always open." Bechard said. "There was always an opportunity to play something."
Bechard could walk outside and play baseball in the summer with the neighborhood kids. In the fall Bechard played football. In the winter he had basketball and spring brought track season.
Beachard was the fifth child in a family with seven kids. He didn't have to travel very far to polish his developing athletic talents.
Bechard's skills earned him a spot on the basketball team at Barton County Community College in Great Bend. After two years on the team, he headed to Ft. Hays State University. Bechard earned a master's degree in Physical Education.
"We lived in a small three bedroom house, so there was always competition before you got out of the house."
BECHARD (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
It didn't take long for Bechard to have success at Lewis High School. The volleyball team won a pair of conference titles during his first three seasons. In 1983 he left Lewis High School to return to Barton County as an assistant
women's basketball coach. Bechard's volleyball career was put on hold.
Two years later the phone rang again. The head volleyball coaching job at Barton County was available. Bechard was wanted for the job.
"Both jobs that got me started, 1 kind of fell into a little bit." Beard said.
Bechard's record at Barton County is astonishing even today. In 13 seasons Bechard posted a 716-60 record with 12 top-five finishes at the National tournament.
Bechard still has a tough time wrapping his head around the numbers. "We just got kids that were very
"I want to get this program to where it's respected nationally."
competitive, mostly from western Kansas, who grew up with good work ethics," Bechard said.
Dana Foss, assistant athletic director at Barton County since 1975, remembered the buzz that Bechard brought to Barton County.
Junior middle blocker Natalie Uhart has seen a lot of different coaches throughout the years. Uhart, a Lansing
"We had great crowds," Foss said. "And when his teams went to nationals, the whole Barton community would be glued to the radio."
When Bechard left Barton County to take the head coaching job at Kansas in 1998, Foss said there was a definite sense of sadness in the community.
RAY BECHARD Volleyball Coach
"He was a real joy to be around," Foss said, "Whether it was in the classroom setting while he was teaching or on the court at practice."
his second losing season last year when the team finished 10-19.
LANDING IN LAWRENCE
Ask Bechard whether the decision to leave Barton County for Kansas was a difficult one and he won't take long to answer.
"I want to get this program to make it's respected nationally," Bechard said. "So we're a consistent program in the upper echelon of, not just the Big 12, but the NCAA tournament."
"It wasn't" he said. "But it was a difficult decision emotionally for our family because we lived in the community for 15 years." Bechard said he had already decided before the interview that if he got the job held take it.
Bechard's tenure at Kansas has a long list of benchmarks. In 2003, his sixth year at Kansas, Bechard notched his 800th career victory and his 100th at Kansas. The program reached NCAA tournament for the first time ever. Kansas finished 2003 with 22 victories and upset perennial power Long Beach State in the first round. Kansas returned to the NCAA tournament in 2004 and 2005. In 2004 the team came within a point of beating Washington to advance to the Sweet 16.
Kansas missed the tournament last season and Bechard suffered
native, began her career at Long Beach State before transferring to Kansas for the 2006 season.
"There are a lot of times when your coach is just your coach, and you don't really go in talk to him about anything
"I'm amazed that it's been that many years already, I don't feel that old," Bechard said. "But I know we've done it the right away with kids who have had a great balance of athletics. We've been fortunate to win more matches than maybe previous teams have."
else." Uhart said. "I can go into his office and I can bother him, act like his kid sometimes. He has a positive outlook on everything."
Bechard's recent milestone is not only a credit to coaching talents but to his outstanding longevity as well. Bechard is firmly into his 10th season at Kansas and it doesn't seem like a stretch to imagine Bechard as the coach program ten years from now.
Edited by Rachael Gray