Ask her players what they think of Amy Patton, and words of praise flow out of their mouth. Ask people in the athletic department what they think of Amy Patton, and they'll gush about one of Dartmouth's top coaching talents. Ask her peers what they think of Amy Patton, and they'll refer you to the Coach of the Year they bestowed upon her last season. They don't call her General Patton without good reason.
Indeed, if you look at her coaching and playing resum, Patton's awards read just like those of a decorated officer: Three Ivy League titles in the past four years, two Final Four appearances in two trips to the NCAA tournament, a 70-25 mark in six years at Dartmouth and an impressive 32-8 mark in Ivy League play.
But Amy Patton's story is more than just one of on-the-field success. It is a tale of a college All-American adjusting to life at a non-scholarship school and coming to terms with the needs and goals of the women she coaches. And that takes more than knowing just X's and O's.
"I don't think there is anybody in the country who knows more about the game of lacrosse than Coach Patton," Kate Graw '00 said. "But what makes her a better coach is the way she relates with her players."
But that relationship has not always been easy for Patton. After playing at Maryland, a scholarship school, adjusting to the rigors of coaching student-athletes at Dartmouth proved to be the biggest challenge.
"At scholarship programs like Maryland, lacrosse is the players' lives," says Patton, who won the scholar-athlete award at Maryland her senior season. "But lacrosse is not always the first priority for students at Dartmouth because of everything else that is going on. That makes it harder to have continued success."
Former Big Green women's lacrosse coach Josie Harper, who hired Patton as a member of her staff in 1989, remembers trying to convince Patton that her players really cared about lacrosse.
"One of the most important things I tried to teach Amy was that kids at Dartmouth play as hard as kids at scholarship schools, care as much as kids at scholarship schools but that these kids were student-athletes as well. I hired Amy because I was looking to retire and wanted a person like her to lead the program, but I had to help Amy understand than Dartmouth was a different place that Maryland. If players needed to miss a practice every now and then because of classes, then she needed to know that was okay."
According to Graw, Patton has taken that advice to heart.
"Amy is a very intelligent person, both in terms of lacrosse and in terms of everything else. She is very accomodating to us when it comes to academics, letting us know our classes are just as important as lacrosse."
However, once the players are on the field for either practice or games, understanding the Dartmouth atmosphere does not change Patton's rigorous approach to training and playing. In many ways, Patton is lacrosse's version of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, a tough coach whose tight ship is justified by the Volunteers' success.
"Of all of our coaches here at Dartmouth, Amy might have the best combination of the winning way and the demanding way," Harper said.
"I definitely think I am a demanding coach to play for," Patton said. "I ask a lot out of my players, but I think if I didn't push them to be the players that I know they can be then I would be selling them short."
One such example Patton cites is the team's recent spring break trip to Florida, where the team underwent grueling practice sessions.
"It's sunny and 80 degrees, and you know these kids want to be on the beach rather than practicing. But I wanted to make sure that we became better on that trip and I pushed them to their limit. And as a result, they went out the next game and beat a good Yale team. Had it not been for our hard work that trip, we probably would not have won that game."
For the players who embrace her style, Patton is seen as a coaching messiah. But for others, a demanding mentor could be just one more reason to give up lacrosse. In fact, only defender Heather McNulty '99 remains from the original 11 recruits of this year's senior class. But Patton attributes that to life at Dartmouth.
"There are no financial ties or other things that bind players to lacrosse or any sport," Patton said. "So most players who aren't seeing significant time by their sophomore year move on and take advantages of all the other opportunities at Dartmouth. That's one aspect that makes coaching at Dartmouth harder than coaching at other schools."
In fact, Patton's success at Dartmouth has come despite not having the luxuries that can be found at many of the powerhouse ACC schools such as Virginia, Maryland or North Carolina. One of Patton's most important realizations as a head coach was to recognize the complex nature of keeping a non-scholarship program successful, a formula that Patton has been working on since arriving at Dartmouth.
"To win at Dartmouth, you need three things," Patton said. "First, you need to have strong support from the atheltic administration and know that they are behind you. Second, you need to have a strong relationship with the admissions department in order to get the kids you are recruiting admitted. Finally, we need the artificial turf field to be on an equal playing level with the rest of the country that doesn't have to deal with climate issues like ours."
Most of her coaching peers around the country often find it hard to believe that Patton is able to succeed at a place such as Dartmouth given the academic pressure and the often difficult climate.
"When I talk to my friends who are coaches at those major programs, they always wonder how we manage to keep our program at a high level. It's very hard for them to imagine trying to recruit without scholarships and luring kids to New Hampshire. But I think Dartmouth sells itself to kids and that makes my job a lot easier."
Of course, what also helps Patton sell kids on coming to Dartmouth is the Big Green's success on the field and her ability to make players better.
"Coach Patton recruits kids that she feels have a lot of potential and turns them into smart players," Emily Fenwick '00 said. "I know I've become a smarter player."
"Amy is a great coach to play for because she really knows her players, and coaches each of us individually and differently in order to go get the best out of us. Amy is a tremendous teacher," Jacque Weitzel '00 said.
Regardless of how talented her players are, Patton views the lack of an artificial turf field as the only barrier to Dartmouth becoming an NCAA tournament team year in and year out.
"Two years ago we didn't get to the NCAA tournament because we only practiced outside for two weeks. With that field, we can take this program to the next level. The only reason I would ever see myself leaving Hanover and Dartmouth is if the field doesn't get built."
Though she has no intentions of leaving the Big Green family, there is no doubt in Harper's mind that Patton could land a top job immediately, leaving all that more pressure to finish the field.
"There are very few, if any, coaches in women's lacrosse the caliber of Amy Patton. I just hope that Dartmouth can keep one of the most marketable and noticeable names in women's college lacrosse today."
For now though, Patton's sole focus is on the 1999 season and getting one step further than last year's semifinal loss to Virginia in the NCAA tournament, a loss that left Patton craving more.
"When we got to the Final Four in 1995 and lost in the semifinal round, I thought we played a real good game," she said. "Last year, we did not play our best against Virginia and if we had, we could have won the game."
That disappointment was not veiled to the team, and many players claim that Patton became distant in the weeks following the loss. Patton admits to being disappointed, but thinks that the situation may have been misunderstood.
"I was disappointed that we did not play our best," Patton said, "but I think the reason I may have seemed distant during that time is because those weeks in May were our biggest recruiting period and we were constantly on the road and focusing on recruiting."
But that episode may have changed both the team and Patton, as players now talk about a caring coach who is much closer to her players.
"I really do have a sensitive side and I hope that side of me comes through to my players," she said. "I have a joking side too."
That joking side came out on the trip to Florida as well when Patton opened up a water gun on some of the freshmen, proving that General Patton was still alive and well, even with a water gun.
Apparently, that side has been noticed by her players and they certainly appreciate the change.
"As much as I've changed in my four years at Dartmouth, Coach Patton has changed more," McNulty said. "When I was a freshman, she was definitely General Patton and in charge and not as personable. But now she has become much closer to her players."
Fenwick was quick to agree with McNulty's assessment that General Patton has become a more caring coach.
"She takes care of us more than she ever has before. She pushes us when it is necessary and gives us breaks when we need them. She also speaks more with us individually than she did in the past and she gives us more support. Some may say she has gotten softer, I just think she has become a better coach and more fun to play for."
Perhaps nobody understands this change more than Harper, who has watched Patton develop for over a decade.
"Dealing with players has been Amy's greatest area of improvement," Harper said. "She has always been a tremendous coach from a coaching standpoint, but now she has become an excellent coach from the personal standpoint as well."
Dealing with opponents has been one thing the Big Green has not had to worry about this season, winning their last four games by a combined score of 60-24. The team's offensive explosiveness has been combined with a stringent defense, a combination that hopefully will lead the team back to the tournament. The squad's only loss to date was the opener against No. 1 Maryland, one of three ACC teams the Big Green will face this year. Patton has made it a priority to play top teams, hoping that the Big Green will benefit from playing the best
"We could make the tournament every year by scheduling weak Northeast teams and going nearly undefeated. But we need to challenge ourselves during the season so that in big games, we know what to expect. I'd rather play Maryland and lose as long as we grow as a team as a result."
Despite last year's success and their early 4-1 record, the Big Green find themselves ranked tenth in the nation, proving that despite Patton's success, Dartmouth is still not considered one of the very elite teams in the nation. But Patton thinks it is only a matter of time until Dartmouth gets the respect it deserves.
"When we play the southern schools, I hear their fans and players saying how Dartmouth can't be any good. I don't even think our trip to the Final Four last year earned us that much respect. But I have no doubt we can earn their respect over time and Dartmouth can be a premiere program."
Patton may be respected by the rest of the lacrosse community, but she would prefer team success to personal success.
"I'd trade Coach of the Year honors for a championship any day of the week." As would her team. But if they do win the title, Patton may be in store for something more than celebration.
"We know she likes to sing along to Cher in her office," Graw said. "If we win the title, we're going to demand she perform for us in practice. But I'm afraid to mention the whole Cher thing until then."
