Growing up, I always knew Dartmouth was a good school. My image was not characterized by the world-renowned faculty, unparalleled study abroad opportunities or alumni. I knew Dartmouth because of sports.
I’m from Etna, 15 minutes east of campus — a townie, some would say. As the daughter of a sports reporter who covered the Big Green, I went to a lot of games. I mean, a lot of games. Now a senior and former Dartmouth athlete, I find myself reflecting on what it was like to grow up in the shadow of the College on the Hill.
Without professional or power-conference college teams nearby, Big Green games are the best sporting action around. Growing up watching SportsCenter before school and falling asleep listening to baseball games on the radio, the chance to watch Division I sports so close to home was special.
From fourth to eighth grade, I was a ball girl for the women’s basketball team. I loved bringing little water cups to players during time outs, folding sweaty warm-up shirts and racking up the balls before games. I used to count down to the Saturday afternoon skills clinics they put on once a year. The players were my heroes, and I always looked up to them — I was about four feet six inches until high school.
Getting autographs from football or hockey players after a game would put a smile on my face for days. I still have autographed T-shirts, towels and cards in my basement at home. Each spring when I was in elementary school, local police officers would hand out Dartmouth athlete trading cards. If one ever becomes a movie star or vice president, maybe I’ll sell my memorabilia on eBay.
My relationship with EBAs goes way back: I went to countless hockey-game-and-pizza birthday parties. Everyone I knew went to Dartmouth games. That’s what we did for fun.
In hindsight, I was incredibly fortunate to have those players as role models. Not only were they incredibly talented athletes, they were smart. They were walking, talking proof that jocks aren’t dumb. Being surrounded by such high-achieving athletes influenced my college process. I strove to emulate the athletic and academic success I saw in Dartmouth athletes, so that maybe someday I could be a role model for another enthusiastic young ball girl.
Today, I’m still a Big Green sports fan. Of course, some things are different now. As a freshman on the cross-country team, I did not feel anything like the Dartmouth athletes I had idolized growing up. Now, the athletes I watch on the field or the court are classmates and friends. Seeing and experiencing the roller coaster that college athletics often is, I realized that those I had considered heroes faced struggles along with their successes — they were not superhuman after all. A healthy realization.
Though the awe that accompanies watching Dartmouth athletes has dissipated over the years (although not entirely — hey D’Ags), we cannot take for granted athletes’ influence — influence on Hanover kids, like I was, but also on Dartmouth’s reputation in the area. The positive (or negative) actions of Dartmouth athletes in the community are wide-reaching and, for me at least, shape views of the school.
At the College, we talk about community frequently. This community extends beyond students and faculty. I’m reminded of this larger community each time I see my friendly custodian or a Collis employee in the bleachers at a game. The next time you are at a Dartmouth sporting event, look around and you’ll see your neighbors, the people we share this wonderful Upper Valley with. To me, these moments are grounding — a window to the world outside the Dartmouth bubble.
Growing up in Hanover, my view of Dartmouth was much more about what was happening on the field than inside the classroom. Now, with the perspective of a current student and former athlete, I have a more complete picture of what makes Dartmouth great. In this column, I will examine the intersection of the Upper Valley community and Dartmouth athletics. Because, to local kids, Big Green athletes are celebrities. Next time, I’ll explore some of the ways Dartmouth athletes are making an impact in the area.
