A New Edition to the Family

Last week the New York Times came to town. A reporter was sent to spend a day with me, doing research for an article on the women’s basketball rivalry between Harvard and Dartmouth ... more specifically between Kathy Delaney Smith and yours truly. After all it was Harvard week and clearly the world revolves around that rivalry.

The game did not disappoint. Leede Arena was packed; the band played and the big “D" flag circled he court. Dartmouth and the Upper Valley had come to watch great basketball. There were lead changes, scoring droughts and sudden bursts of offense and neither team would back down. It took Margaret Smith sinking two free throws with 5 seconds left for us to clinch a victory. It doesn’t get much better than that.

But I was wrong. Life got a lot better, quickly. My daughter-in-law went into labor Sunday morning. I raced down to Philadelphia in plenty of time to be at the blessed event. Suddenly, there was a new life in my world and a new title next to my name ... grandmother. This title will bring balance into my life. Balance keeps a coach from falling into egocentric silliness of Division 1 athletics. You need perspective in coaching or you can mistake the ups and downs of a season for the pulse of life itself. I have been blessed now with the perspective of a grandmother.

I am delighted to have been able to compete for so many years against such a formidable opponent as Kathy Delaney – Smith.

But I am now “Grand!” There is new precious life in my world. I am the proud grandmother of Wesley Charles Wielgus ... better known as Wes. You don’t think that his name sounds ... well “Harvard-y “ do you??

- Coach Wielgus