Written by Sarah Comtois '18
When we hear the term "Division I Athletics" we think of success. Many NCAA DI athletes trade their blood, sweat, and tears for a shot at a National Championship. In many ways, this is where professionals are born. Passion drives the competitiveness of this Division where only a select few are fortunate enough to compete. It is the ultimate goal for most athletes as they hope to exceed their own expectations.
But life as an NCAA DI athlete is a balancing act. With two-a-day practices, team lifts, study halls, chalk talk sessions, multi-day traveling to games, and being a full-time student, off-days are non-existent. However, this type of extreme dedication is the minimum effort required to be successful at such a high level of play.
And when that final whistle is blown, these athletes are rarely ready to step away from their sport. Many turn to the coaching world, hoping to inspire the next generation of athletes.
This story holds true for several of the coaches here at Saint Joseph's College.
With the celebration of Division III Week every April, student-athletes are often asked why they chose to attend their respective college. Among the many reasons is their team's head coach, as no team would be complete without its coaching staff, a group of professionals with the power to shape their team's success.
Four Saint Joseph's head coaches, having all played their respective sport at the NCAA DI level - Adrian Dubois (men's soccer), Jenelle Harris (women's soccer), Margaret Howe (swimming), and Yamile Nolan (volleyball) – shared their insight as to why they chose Division III and what they appreciate most about DIII athletics.
If you know anything about Adrian Dubois's soccer career, you probably know that it's hard to find a league in which he hasn't played.
Even after helping his team earn a national ranking during his career at the University of New Hampshire, Dubois was not through playing. Throughout the next few years, Dubois went on to play professionally for several different clubs while earning two Major League Soccer tryouts along the way.
Dubois stated that his love for the game is what brought him to coaching. "Soccer makes me happy," Dubois stated, "the life lessons that soccer taught me [are] invaluable." And having witnessed the highest levels of coaching in the country, he knew he would be able to develop a strong coaching philosophy based on his mentors.
Although it was a head coaching opportunity that brought Dubois to Standish, Maine two years ago, it is the philosophy of DIII that drives his efforts as a member of the Athletics Staff.
The concept of Division III is more academically based than the other Divisions. With no athletic scholarships available, athletes must be driven by the "Division III Mentality," where self-motivation during the off-days leads to success throughout the season. This also this means that coaches must take a step back from their teams when the season ends, an aspect of DIII that provides student-athletes the opportunity to spend more time on their academics.
And for Coach Dubois, the more relaxed nature of Division III affords him additional time to focus on his philosophy. With less training during the off-season, Dubois can spend that time preparing his athletes, not only for the next season but also for the game of life.
For first-year swim coach Margaret Howe, Division III offered her a chance to build a young program into a contender, an opportunity that she couldn't pass up.
The former Boston College distance swimmer has used her experience as an NCAA DI athlete to build a coaching style aimed at ultimate athlete growth. Howe has incorporated a new level of discipline, commitment to hard work, and a goal-oriented thought process to her platform in shaping her swimmers into better athletes.
And this philosophy has already proven successful.
In her first season as coach, Howe lead her women's team to a second-place finish at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships, demolishing the program's point record by 280 points.
On the men's side, Junior Ben Johnson became the first swimmer in Saint Joe's history to qualify for the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships.
But Coach Howe understands that Division III institutions attract athletes who make their college choice based on their academic and athletic "fit" and knows she cannot forget the most important element of her platform: fun.
"Swimming is really just hitting a wall every 20 seconds, so SOMETHING has to get athletes back to the pool every day."
With a record-breaking season already under her belt, that "something" bringing athletes back to the pool each day is Howe's quest for success.
Two towns over in Gray, Maine, Head Women's Soccer Coach Jenelle Harris has another team that relies on her: her family.
Originally from Texas, Harris played for Centenary College (which has since transitioned to DIII) where she was a four-year contributor. But, like Dubois and Howe, she wasn't ready to let go of her sport after her senior year.
After moving to Maine with her husband, Harris became involved ODP program working with former SJC Women's Soccer coach Michael Bolanz. Impressed with her abilities, Bolanz brought her aboard his coaching staff, where Harris served as an assistant coach for six seasons before taking on the head coaching role after Bolanz departed in 2013.
Coaching at the Division III level has given Harris not only the opportunity to develop her coaching skills, but also to develop her family.
"Now that I have kids, it's the best fit," Harris stated. For she realizes it would be impossible to balance a family on top of the time commitment that is required of coaches at the Division I level.
And her family has stayed at her side throughout her career. You can usually find her oldest daughter cheering her mom on at home games, often sporting a Coach Harris t-shirt.
When asked if she would like to test the waters coaching at a higher NCAA Level, Harris simply responded: "Maybe eventually. But when the kids are older."
If you ask Yamile Nolan to sum up her experience as a Division I volleyball player, she will give you a simple answer: "It's HARD!"
After a two-year stint at El Camino Community College, Nolan was offered a full scholarship to compete at the University of California- Santa Barbara.
But a coaching career was not something that she had planned. Her beach volleyball league director – John Razsa, then the Monks' head coach - offered her an assistant coaching position at Saint Joseph's. After much deliberation, Nolan took the job and was selected as the team's head coach after he resigned in 2009. She has been with the Monks for seven years now.
"Now I can't imagine my life without coaching," Nolan stated.
Although Nolan admits to missing the competitive fire of a Division I program, this trait is not lacking in her team at St. Joe's. The more relaxed feel of the division tends to yield more genuine players who compete for the love of the game, not for the recognition. Nolan recalls that often times players at the Division I level have more of an entitlement attitude, which she has not seen at the Division III level.
"I love working with intense, competitive players," she states of her Saint Joseph's team, "and I'm not sure I would do well coaching a team of prima donnas!"
According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association website, Division III is the largest division of the NCAA with approximately 200,000 student-athletes participating.
It's in a league of its own. With vast opportunities that expand well beyond athletics, colleges like Saint Joseph's have been attracting athletes with a goal to succeed, not only on the playing field but in the classroom as well. Student-athletes in Division III tend to be more well rounded, a trait that is beneficial for their future careers.
And this atmosphere is a drawing card for coaches who strive for the opportunity to build successful programs. In this environment, coaches can act not only as athletic guides but life mentors, with the power to use athletics to create more versatile young adults.
But we cannot doubt that the experience brought forth by former Division I athletes has had a huge impact on the programs here at St. Joe's. For the blood, sweat, and tears that were devoted at Division I programs years ago have been swapped for attitudes and philosophies that guide our student-athletes towards greatness after graduation.
And we should thank them for helping to make this transition an easy one.
#GOMONKS
Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!
Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
