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PAGE FOUR THE GOLD BUG MAY21972 Women's sports gaining impetus by Nellie Arrinoton Women's intercollegiate sports are becoming more important, mainly due to a changing physiological philosophy, according to Ann Coffey, head of the Women's Athletic Committee and Joan Weyers, women's physical education assistant professor. Ms. Coffey feels the new enthusiasm for women's sports is most important as a "mental framework conducive to the business world." She noted women have generally passive activities in childhood, making it hard for them "to become active and aggressive in later life in the business world." By contrast, she points out many men's experiences in competitive team sports prepares them for the equally competitive life in business. Ms. Coffey stated it "seems a job-preventing lack of coor- dination could be developed through physical ac- tivity." Ms. Coffey also said, "It is as important for women as for men to be physically fit for life, and it's about time we encourage this." Thus cham- pioning physical' fitness for women's-beatth, she seems pleased with the increased participation in women's intercollegiate sports in the past few years. --- philosophy" as "It used to be sports were not physilogtcal Ms. Weyers defined the "changing Lily Chen, student-teachinq in art at Westminster East Midd,le School, discus~es her work with considered good for women. Now, if they're good Mrs. Gately Flynn supervising teacher,and Mr. Donald Patrick, center coordinator. Miss Chen, an honor student who was the College's Homecoming Queen, is a native of Rangoon, Burma. for boys' physiology, they're good for girls'." She explained if any particular image of a female athlete exists, it is of a healthy, All-American girl than one with a stimga attached. She feels men like girls to be interested in sports Student teaching revised so it will be a mutual interest. Ms. Weyers notes a girl is a better spectator when she has played a Nancy Lee Winkleman, Director of Publications and Publicity sport and understands the game. But she lobbied against a recent bill in the Mayland General In an effort to develop better teachers who will criticized have been modified. Assembly which would have meant coed teams have a broader understanding of the educational One example of the criticisms: students were represented the schools, instead of separate teams. process, Western Maryland College, Westminster, taking a course at 8:00 a.m. on the campus and In a letter to one delegate, she wrote, "Only the has altered its approach to practice teaching. supervising teachers felt that they should be at the rare, exceptional girl would ever have sufficient Student teaching the old way has been under fire schools to take part in opening procedures. Now the skill to be selected for a boys' team. We must nationally for some time. Dr. L. Stanley Bcwlsbey, students take the class at a different hour and are at provide more girls' teams, and therefore meet the Jr., chairman of the college's education depart- the schools in the morning. Other problems were of needs of the majority of girls, rather than a few ment, points out. This old pattern, where a student a similar minor nature. Both of the principals, W. elite who have had years of individual instruction." worked for a certain number of weeks with the Norman Wise at the high school and William R. The bill was not passed. Ms. Weyers asserts ad- same supervising teacher, was said to destroy the Ecker, middle school, are enthusiastic about the ditionally it is "not good socially to pit girls against student teacher's initiative. One student under one center, Dr. Bowlsbey said, adding that he is talking, boys." supervising teacher tended to make carbon copies, of course, about one center in two locations. Coach Weyers mentioned the formation of the according to critics. It also was charged that the The center is giving students, according to the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for supervising teachers selected frequently were educator, a longer, more continuous period of Women, a counterpart of the men's NCAA. The conservative, of a common mold. professional laboratory experiences and an in- purposes of the AlAW, as stated in thir handbook, The new approach, also being tried at other depth experience with youth. Students have the are: colleges and universities, is to establish one school chance to do a better job of combining theory with "To foster broad programs of women's in- in a system as a teacher education center. practice and to work in more individualized tercollegiate athletics which are consistent with the Typically there is a coordinator of the center who is programs. These students, he feels, will have a educational objectives of member schools; employed half by the college and half by the par- broader understanding of the services and To assist member schools to extend and enrich ticipating school system. Students then spend the resources of a school system. Most importantly, Dr; their programs of intercollegiate athletics for whole semester working under all members of the Bowlsbey says, such a program is going to produce women; faculty in their particular teaching area. In these teacher candidates who are experienced in working To stimulate the development of quality centers students complete course work at the same with innovative programs, particularly, teaching leadership among persons responsible for women's time as they teach by having classes at the center teams, individualized instruction, and in- intercollegiate athletics programs; and also studying teaching methods. terdisciplinary curricular approaches. To stimulate the development of quality Western Maryland College, according to Dr. While at the center a student teacher goes leadership among persons responsible for women's Bowlsbey, tried to adopt the typical plan. Carroll through four phases-current students are now in intercollegiate athletics programs; " County had no budget to contribute half-pay for the phase three. During the first period of time, To encourage excellence in performance of coordinator and therefore, the coordinator, a students took courses in education on the campus, participants in women's intercollegiate athletics." member of the college faculty, is paid in full by particularly Principles of High School Teaching. Ms. Coffey and Ms. Weyers support the recom- Western Maryland. For three full days during the second phase me-ndation of the Women's Athletic Committee for Dr. Bowlsbey mentioned another problm. students were in an orientation program during a woman graduate assistant in the phys. ed. Western Maryland currently has too many students which they were introduced to the center, observed department. If approved, an assistant's duties in the education program, approximately 50 per classes, and made unit and daily plans. During the would include coaching the women's lacrosse team term, to handle at one center. It is impossible, he rest of the second phase the students took part in and coordinating a women's intramural program, says, to staff another center. So, 20 of the student morning procedures at' the school and then ob- now lacking here. teachers are sent to the center and the rest must served classes taught by a sponsoring teacher operate under the old system. before they, the prospective teachers, actually The education professor does not feel this par- begin to teach. A student generally continues with ticular situation will continue. much longer. At one that class for the remainder of the semester at the time the number of prospective teachers was high school or until he changes teaching teams at smaller and Dr. Bowlsbey thinks that the loss of the middle school. During the rest of the day during scholarships and a decline in appeal because of the this period the students took classes at the college. 'lack of jobs soon will cut the size of the classes. In the third time period, the students are spen- The college is now in the second semester of the ding the full day at the center. In the teaching team experiment with a center. After the first semester, situation at the middle school, the student teacher teachers of the two schools involved-Westminster gradually accepted the full load of one team High School and Westminster East Middle School, members. He changed teams on April 17. college faculty, students, and administrators In the departmental situation a student retains evaluated the experience. Most of the items they the original sponsor and the sponsor's class. In (continued on page six)