Macalester athletes are passionate and eloquent about sports and what their college experience did for them

by Gabrielle Lawrence '73, Alumni Director

I was not an athlete, which I've always blamed on being born before girls were welcome on the playing fields. And I've sometimes considered Macalester athletes a mysterious culture. They speak in an often puzzling special language, they wear complicated shoes and they hang out together in small, stinky rooms on the other side of campus. It's hard to understand the attraction of daily practices, long sessions in the weight room or running hard outside in the cold and rain. I didn't really get it.

But for me, enlightenment began with football.

A few years ago there was a discussion about the future of football at Macalester, remember? If you are a Mac athlete you do, and I probably got a letter from you. There was vigorous discussion about the future of football at Mac--on campus, on the Internet, in the Mac Weekly. There hadn't been such a controversial topic since the Business Office occupations of the mid-'70s.

Back in the day: scenes from Macalester football (1983), women's soccer (1989) and women's basketball (1991). GREG HELGESON

One evening during that season there was an open discussion about football in the Campus Center, an invitation to all alumni interested in the topic to express their opinion. Mac alumni never hesitate to respond to this kind of invitation and the John B. Davis Lecture Hall was packed.

It was like a fun family reunion. The hall was crowded with men and women, alumni from the '40s through the '90s, gathered into groups laughing and talking, catching up on life, remembering their days and speculating on the sanity of the Macalester administration. Everybody seemed to know each other; guys from the 1950s were thumping the backs of guys from the 1970s and introducing their kids. I don't think I've seen that many 1980s grads in the same room before or since! When everyone settled down and they started to speak, it was apparent that this was not just about the future of football, but about the experience of athletics at Macalester.

The speakers were passionate and eloquent about their Mac experience, about what it still meant to them and their teammates and about the impact those relationships and experiences had on their lives. Sports at Mac made the difference in their lives, set the course. The experience was a fundamental part of their education and the lessons learned there were not forgotten. I was envious and curious, and I started wondering about how that athletic experience results in such a strong emotional connection.

Perhaps part of the answer lies in the nature of playing the game itself. Most of us have not experienced those sublime moments that keep players in the game, the times when they are "in the zone." A hockey player friend explained that the excellent athlete can see more than we can see. Athletes at that level can see the whole rink, are able to anticipate the next play and react before the puck leaves the stick. It's as if the conventional relay system from eye to brain to feet and hands is bypassed in favor of a more direct interface with the synapse. Bill Bradley, the former senator and basketball star, was described by John McPhee as having eyes in the back of his head; he was so skilled at anticipating the next play on the court. My friend, a standout hockey player in high school and college, remembered playing at that level precisely three times. But it was enough to get him out on the ice at 6 a.m. every day--that and the team.

Every year the M Club honors four alumni for their outstanding athletic accomplishments at Macalester and all M Club members are invited to attend. I sneak in because it's one of my favorite events of the year. After dinner, the awardees are introduced by someone of their choice, who almost always goes way beyond the allotted 3 minutes telling stories about the new Hall of Famer. The honoree also speaks and also goes way over the allotted time telling stories and speaking about what Mac athletics has meant to him or her. The memories are rich and funny--of games on frozen fields facing an offensive lineman who might've just been released from prison; of being taken aside after running the hurdles following the men's practice and told that hurdling was not for girls; of playing hockey on the rink on sub-zero days in January. One could write a fascinating history of Macalester with the notes from these dinners.

It's clear that Macalester athletes are connected to the school and bonded with each other in a way that's unique, and it's different from the passion one might feel about an organic chemistry lab, or the theater's green room. The committed, goal-oriented experience shared with a group of friends over a period of years creates a framework of loyalty and respect that endures and that is an essential part of our strong and diverse alumni body.

So, what I've learned is that Mac athletes have a passionate, emotional connection to Macalester--and to their teammates. They love to play the game and be around people who are playing the game. Mac athletes do well. They are teachers and coaches, business people and parents, volunteers and fundraisers, judges and community activists. And they are very proud Macalester alumni. I've also learned that Mac athletes are very emotional about their college experience and that the big guys are the most emotional. I do not know why this is true. If you know, please write and tell me.

Gabrielle Lawrence '73 can be reached at lawrence@macalester.edu or 651-696-6315.