I never saw myself at Saint Louis University. My dream was never to be a Billiken. In fact, when I first started playing, I ranked every college field hockey team. SLU was in the bottom percent of the list. But, things happen. Life doesn’t go as planned and sometimes, you have to take the best offer you get. In March of my senior year of high school, that offer was from SLU. By the end of that month, I was a Billiken. I did my unofficial visit, official visit, and signed to the team within three weeks. It was a whirlwind.

As a freshman, I was beyond excited to be here. My dreams of playing Division I field hockey were almost dashed, but SLU had taken me on. I knew I needed to not only prove myself but make my career count. At that point, the 40 minute drive to practice, the bare bones staff, the minimalist locker room didn’t bother me. I knew I just needed to be grateful. The phrase, “You don’t belong here,” rang loud in my head. I was in no position to talk.

Very quickly, however, I realized that things I thought I was just being picky about just didn’t happen in other places. When you confront your administration on the struggles of being off campus, your team administrator doesn’t sit you down and give you an hour long speech about gratitude. When you get home from practice, you don’t have to wait until the next day to go to the training room, either for injury or illness. When you go to practice, you don’t have to cross your fingers for an athletic trainer that you know, or even one who will introduce themselves to you. You don’t have to spend your time in college athletics trying to convince someone that you and your team are worth spending money on. Sure, not every facility is going to be state of the art. Not every locker room is going to have your picture above your locker. Not every coaching staff is going to be five coaches deep. But that wasn’t what actually upset me. What upset me was that whenever I challenged any part of my career, I was told I wasn’t being grateful. Ironic, considering for most of my career, I laid my head down at night and thanked God for giving me the opportunity to do something I had only dreamed of when I was fourteen.

I’ve loved being a Billiken despite all those things. I loved getting to travel the country with anywhere from 18 to 22 of my best friends. I loved getting to wake up every day and do the thing I loved most. I loved getting to lift weights in Chaifetz. I loved how I felt after a hard conditioning session. I loved how I felt the day after preseason ended. I loved how I felt every time the team stood together before a game and sang the national anthem. I loved every part of it. I will cherish the memories I made in a Billiken uniform for years. I am proud to be a Billiken. But I also know that every athletic department has its faults.

As proud as I am and was to be on the team here, it never ceased to shatter my heart when I told someone I played field hockey for the university and they responded, “Oh, I didn’t know we had a team!”. To which I, and many of my teammates were forced to respond, “Well, that’s probably because we don’t have a field on campus”. In Missouri, plenty of people have never seen field hockey before. Its exposure here is nothing like the environment from which I came in Pennsylvania. For a university with such a large athletic following, I always wondered what it would be like to play in front of a crowd even the size of a women’s soccer match. I have always envied men’s soccer for their ability to pack a stadium. This brings me to another point – I love to watch other teams play.

I try to attend as many games as I can. Meanwhile, we’ve had about 10 other student athletes come to support us during my career. Granted, it was a 40 minute drive to get to our field. Quite honestly, the fact that anyone made that effort at all was never lost on us. But that didn’t change that it felt almost cruel for us to be asked to volunteer our time for teams that sometimes never acknowledged us when we passed them on campus.

During my time at SLU, I’ve had four strength coaches, two different head coaches, and more athletic trainers than I can count. I still don’t know what some of their names were. They were with us for one or two practices and never bothered to tell us their names. For one, their training kit didn’t make the trip with them to SportPort. Thank God no one got hurt that day. The inconsistency is something that has caused me to grit my teeth many times throughout my career. Especially when the administration’s response for anything we asked for was that we needed to be more consistent. Unfortunately, the shock of being told, “I’m leaving,” wore off pretty quickly for me. When in your freshman year you lose five of your teammates, your head coach, and your strength coach, the conversation grows old. We are still conditioned that every time a meeting is called to expect the worst. I can’t tell you how many times I walked into a meeting thinking, “This is it. They’ve finally cut us,” or even, “I wonder who’s leaving this time”. It felt like it never ended. There was no security, and by my junior year it became a running joke that getting to know our athletic trainer or strength trainer wasn’t even worth it. We knew that they would leave by the end of the year anyway.

Field hockey is not the only sport on campus without a home at SLU. Tennis plays in Forest Park. The tennis team doesn’t even have locker rooms in Chaifetz which was a privilege for us. The swim team constantly battles poor water conditions in the Rec. Throwers on the track team will finally get a new and improved throwing area for the upcoming season. Women’s track got a bigger locker room when women’s soccer moved out of Chaifetz and into the facility outside Hermann. It was witnessing such nuances while experiencing the things I have and listening to other female athlete’s stories that forced me out of my stupor pretty quickly. College athletics was not what I thought it was. Sometimes, I was disappointed in the experience I had.

In the end, I know I can’t change what happened throughout my career. I have no control over whether or not field hockey gets a field on campus or tennis gets their courts. I can’t force strength coaches or athletic trainers to stay. But what I can do is make the best of a less than ideal situation. I wouldn’t call my experience bad, because it simply wasn’t. I was blessed with a team who loves to make things fun. They found and spread joy whenever they could. Even on the days when we woke up at 5 in the morning to be at the field by 6. On the worst conditioning days we listened to music. If that wasn’t an option, we would sing or joke amongst ourselves. If someone was having a bad day, that was when you saw our team come alive to stand by each other and support one another. The day we listened to our head coach tell us she was leaving, we looked around at each other, either with glazed eyes or tear streaked faces and we resolved to control what we could control. While the pandemic took the worst parts of that spring season from us, we rallied to be there for one another. That was when I really learned what the word “team” meant.

In the end, I’m disappointed by the way adults in the athletic department treated young women who were simply trying to do the thing they enjoy most at a school they love. I am not, however, disappointed in the way my team has handled our burdens, ever. Every time we were handed a bad situation, we handled it with class and grace. It wasn’t always easy, and often it ate into a lot of our personal time. That never mattered once we were on the field, though. We had success despite a system that sometimes felt like it was designed to work against us. I walk away as a senior who played field hockey for four years in a Billiken uniform. I lost every game my freshman year. I helped SLU to their best record since 2006 this year. I helped my team beat a defending A-10 champion. I made some of my best friends on this team. I created connections with some of the best coaches and people in their field. I played hockey against some of the best teams in the nation, I have been to states I never saw before I came to college. I have had the privilege of working with women who are so compelled by injustice they can’t help but speak up about it. I was pushed every day to be a better athlete, a better player, a better woman, and a better person. Everything I experienced during my time in a Billiken uniform only made me better for it.

Retirement changes the way you look at things. I can only do what I have done. I have no more time left to change statistics or wish things went differently. The little moments of this season are burned into my brain because I willed them to be. Four years is a very finite amount of time. Sometimes you don’t realize that until you are staring the end right in the face. I might never play field hockey competitively again but at the end of the day, I am proud of everything I accomplished while I could play. When you come in as a freshman, you often have huge ideas of grandeur and ESPN highlights and unimaginable success. For some, that comes true. For me, I had what might appear to some to be a very mundane career. But my teammates and I know it was anything but mundane. I will forever be a Billiken. Sometimes, that didn’t feel like a tangible goal. But I still made my dreams come true. I worked hard when no one was watching, and I spoke up when I felt I needed to. Even if I’ve only made myself proud, that is all that matters. I know there is change around the corner. For my team, and every women’s team here at SLU. Now, I have to cheer it on from afar. And as much as it fills and breaks my heart at the same time, I’m finally forced to say the words I’ve waited an entire career to say out loud: Farewell, Bills. Thank you for everything.

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, Billiken student-athlete emails pinged with a message. The subject line read “Parking During Men’s Basketball Games.” The body of the email stated that athletes who park in the St. Peter’s parking lot around the Grand Forest Apartments and Marchetti Towers are now expected to move their cars by 8 a.m. on SLU Men’s Basketball game days. Those who do not adhere to this expectation risk their car being towed in retaliation. 

Athletes are expected to move their car to Olive-Compton Garage in order to make space for the men’s basketball donors as they should have the closest spaces to Chaifetz Arena. This new expectation is a response to the ongoing construction of the O’Laughlin Family Champions Center. According to the email, the construction takes up critical parking spaces in which donors previously parked. In order to remedy the parking shortage, student-athletes are expected to make up for the loss, even in their residential space. 

Many athletes live in Grand Forest Apartments, which includes the men’s basketball athletes. Despite never having been asked, nor having agreed to this now mandatory obligation, athletes must move their cars, despite the inconvenience. The NCAA has bylaws which prevent student-athletes from receiving any extra benefits that are not available to the rest of a student body. The intention behind the law is to help ensure equity, and it is part of the reason that last year’s name, image, likeness (NIL) passing was so controversial. Interestingly, however, this mandate for student-athletes does not include non-athletes at SLU. Regular students will still be allowed to park in St. Peter’s without interruption. 

According to Chris May, “We are asking our student-athletes to do what we do best: to be great teammates in service to the needs of our athletic program and University.” The intention of the O’Laughlin Family Champion’s Center is to serve all student-athletes at SLU, which is why the expectation extends to all student-athletes despite the mandate being enforced only on game days for men’s basketball. 

While towing is the immediate and stated threat, there are certainly questions left unanswered by the email. Rest assured, however, because Athletic Director, Chris May, will be attending team lifts or meetings in order to field any questions or concerns athletes might have about this new expectation. Student athletes who might be suspicious of this mandate were told, “Your coaches and staff are also aware of the issue and supportive of the process”, leaving little welcome room for skepticism. 

Athletes will be expected to move their personal vehicles beginning on Oct. 24, 2022. A new concrete walkway has been added to extend the Grand Forest walkway from St. Peter’s lot directly into Chaifetz’s Weber lot. Despite student-athletes being charged the same amount to park in St. Peter’s as other students, they are the only individuals that this decision affects. Many athletes will never benefit from the money and donors that men’s basketball has; and yet, they have been asked to make sacrifices under the guise of the Champion’s Center construction. Even Mr. May stated that the only individuals benefiting from athletes moving their cars are men’s basketball VIP donors. 

As previously mentioned, student-athletes who refuse to comply risk having their vehicles towed. In order to know whether or not a vehicle belongs to a student-athlete, SLU parking will have to run the plate and parking pass and only select the cars under a student-athlete’s registration to be towed. As winter sports like swimming and women’s basketball begin to travel, the assumption is likely that students will be expected to move their vehicle even earlier in order to comply with the mandate. Additionally, athletes are expected to comply with this request because, “The restrictions on the St. Peter’s lot are only for men’s basketball home game days.” This condition limits the number of days student athletes are expected to move their cars rather than requiring them to move their cars for both women and men’s basketball games.

Finally, despite the email being signed by Chris May, the email itself came from an administrative assistant. This is likely the case because it prevents immediate outcry and concern in hastey response to the email. Chris May is inarguably a very busy man, and frustrated emails from athletes would likely only clutter his inbox and prevent important administrative and logistical work. 

Outcries of frustration from student-athletes was swift, yet expected, which is why Mr. May intends to visit each team to comfort them and assure them that moving their car is the best decision. For student-athletes who have watched basketball players be driven around on team golf carts and shouldered out of space in Chaifetz, this expectation comes as a blow. While Olive Compton has not been a site of vehicular theft  this year, the increased frequency of theft on campus could be a concern for those students driving Kias and Hundais. Should an individual’s car be towed, they will be expected to pay the fee in order to have their car returned to them.  Of course, the irony here  lies in the fact that basketball is the only sport on campus that allows for an athlete’s full tuition and fees to be covered. Therefore, the parking for which student-athletes willingly pay is being limited for a sport that is not their own. 

Come Oct. 24, 2022, it will be clear whether or not this mandate is met with the same resistance it caused upon its first announcement. Admittedly, initial announcements often cause greater outcry than the new expectations in practice. It will be interesting to see how student-athletes choose to respond to this new set of expectations.

This generation of female athletes has become increasingly impressive. Of course, they have the advantage of all the athletes who came before them. This year, however, sports fans around the world have the privilege of watching four of the best performers in their sport retire in one year. Sylvia Fowles, Sue Bird, Allyson Felix, and Serena Williams will all retire from professional athletics at the conclusion of their competition season this year. This will demand a moment of reflection for fans around the world, in order to accurately convey all that these four remarkable women have been able to accomplish in their careers. 

Sylvia Fowles and Sue Bird will both take their retirement from the WNBA at the end of the year. Sylvia had an illustrious career within the WNBA for her time on the Minnesota Lynx. Her humility rings almost as loud as her accomplishments. In her retirement interview with ESPN, she noted that “Basketball is not who I am, it’s just something I do.” During her time in the WNBA, she played for both the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx. Drafted second overall by the Sky in 2008, she saw enormous success being named Defensive Player of the year in 2011, and leading the Sky to the finals in 2014. In 2015, the Sky traded her to the Lynx, and that is where she spent the rest of her career. Upon completing her career, she plans to become a mortician, rather than looking to profit further off her athletic skill. The way she is choosing to leave is something she hopes might outlive her legacy of playing basketball. She hopes to leave behind little reminders for her teammates, coaching staff, and staff that might allow them to remember her even after she’s left the locker room for the last time. But Fowles’ career stands on its own, without any fanfare, which is exactly why she did not want any. She retired a league MVP (2017), a two time finals MVP (2015 & 2017), was named Defensive Player of the Year four times and to the All-Star team eight times and has won four gold medals with Team USA. In 2020, she became the all-time leading rebounder in the WNBA. Her name is all over the history books. But for Fowles, she is ready to live a life beyond basketball and cultivate what so clearly separates her from others: her ability to form connections. 

Sue Bird is another WNBA legend. Her talent quickly made her one of the most recognizable faces in the league. Bird has been with the WNBA since its sixth year. After 20 seasons, and at 41 years old, Sue was ready to call it a career. After 20 years, she has quite the statistic sheet as a souvenir. Her leadership, however, is what arguably stands out most about her career: she will retire leading the WNBA in assists. In a New York Times article by Johnathan Abrams, Crystal Langhorne is quoted saying, “Even when I was working on my 3s and I wasn’t as confident if I knew Sue kicked it back to me, I was like: ‘Oh, yeah, shoot it. She’s giving it to you for a reason”. In her time in the WNBA, Bird would play with women who had grown up watching her in their girlhood. Her career outlasted some of theirs. Comparatively, people will look to Bird’s career to measure success. She retires with four WNBA championships, is a 13-time All Star, and retires fully satisfied with her 20-year career. 

Allyson Felix also had a 20-year career. Team USA’s golden child from her teenage years. She became a professional athlete immediately upon her graduation from high school, however, signing with Adidas made her ineligible for collegiate competition. Now 36, Felix takes her leave from running as the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. Part of Felix’s fame came from her decision to part with Nike in 2017. The then-pregnant Felix underwent a contract negotiation with the sports tycoon upon the expiration of her previous contract. However, when the company proposed she take a 70% pay cut on account of her pregnancy, Felix decided to sever her ties with Nike, opting for Athleta instead. She had requested Nike put in certain provisions in her contract that would be beneficial to her as a first-time mother, and might stand as a starting place for their negotiations with other mothers. After Felix’s split with the company, Nike undertook a more protective stance for their mothering athletes. Felix’s departure and candor about the situation is the catalyst for that decision. Ultimately, Felix’s motherhood made her a better athlete. Less than a year after giving birth to her daughter Camryn, she broke Usain Bolt’s world record as the most successful athlete in the history of the IAAF athletics world championships. She attended the Olympic games five times in her career. Felix’s career was capped off by her selflessness. Only days after retirement, she was called up by Team USA one last time to help them qualify in the 4×400 race at the World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon. Upon completing the qualifier, however, she is officially retired. She will spend her time being a mother to Camryn, working with her nonprofits, and bettering her shoe company, Saysh. After two decades of dedication to Team USA and track and field, she is ready for retirement. 

Serena Williams is arguably one of the most recognizable faces in sports. Earlier this month, Serena released her statement with Vogue. For some, it is a heart wrenching article full of the realities of being a woman in sports. At 41, she wishes to build a bigger family and feels like it’s necessary to step away from tennis in order to be the mother and wife that requires. She candidly admitted that retirement, or evolution as she calls it, is painful for her. Abandoning tennis brings her no joy, but certainly, what’s around the corner will. In the end, Williams retires with 23 grand slam titles. As she says herself, that fact alone is, “extraordinary”. And that is true: there is only one Serena Williams. There is only one tennis player like herself. She is the kind of woman who slammed her racquet from frustration and disappointment with a loss. She is the kind of woman who never forgot the critics. She pays homage to her story: one of a little Black girl from Compton whose family pushed her into tennis and spent considerable time in the shadow of her big sister, Venus. In fact, as she goes to retire, she has paid homage to her and Venus’ roots. In one of her final match outfits, she wore a Nike diamond encrusted tennis dress, with matching shoes, and the same diamonds adorning her hair. The statement was far cry from the hair beads that got Venus penalized in an early tournament years ago. For nearly 30 years, Serena Williams has been on the tennis circuit. Her retirement certainly makes way for new names and young women who grew up idolizing her now have the opportunity to become that woman for other girls. It’s the circle of sports. But for Serena, her illustrious career guarantees her a spot next to names like Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, and yes, even Roger Federer. 

These four women share one common theme: they have written history within their respective sports. Their time in athletics is not simply dictated by their in game performance. While their time in sport has drawn to a close, their names will be legacies within their respective crafts. As each moves on into a world beyond athletics, they all leave behind a solemn and realistic message. Sports do not last forever, as it often represents a short and intense period of someone’s life. Afterward, however, there is still life to be had and for women who have experienced life at a fraction of its entirety for decades, they are jumping into retired life with two feet.

Prior to Lia Thomas’ arrival in Atlanta for the NCAA championship, controversy around her name abounded. Thomas attends the University of Pennsylvania and took a fifth year to compete in swimming. She had made it to the championship for two races as the first seed in the 500 and 200-meter freestyle races. Her times posted at the championship were nearly record breaking. However, before all this began, there was debate over whether the fifth-year senior would get her fifth year. 

Lia Thomas came to the University of Pennsylvania as a member of the men’s team. Thomas, now on the women’s team,had completed the necessary year-long hormone treatments needed in order to swim for UPenn’s women’s swim team. Her transition happened in accordance with all NCAA rules, careful not to break any for the extra controversy it might impose on any success she saw this season. On the men’s team, Thomas posted times that earned her runner-up status in 2019 at the Ivy League championships. 

Though Thomas had qualified for two championship races, she stood atop the podium for only the 500-meter championship held on March 17. A career defining swim, she bested Virginia’s Emma Weyant who had claimed a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics this past summer. The opportunity to swim against Weyant at an Olympic scale will likely never happen for Thomas. Due to the NCAA’s rules on transgender athletes competing, Thomas was able to follow protocol and remain a member of the team she holds in high regard. The Olympic rulings on transgender athletes make it nearly impossible for a trans athlete to compete with the current standards. It is why there has never been an openly trans Olympic champion. 

Thomas’ name, however, has been surrounded in opinion. However, she is not the first transgender athlete to win a national championship. While Thomas is the first to win a championship in swimming, Franklin Pierce’s CeCe Telfer won a national title in track in 2019, the same year Thomas began her transition. Thomas is the first to win a Division I championship, given that Telfer’s championship came out of the Division II circuit. 

Earlier this year, Thomas’ presence on the women’s team caused a stir. A letter from her teammates and alumni went public, citing the fact that in the men’s category she had been ranked number 462. As a woman, she was ranked first. Despite their objections, the Ivy League and NCAA confirmed that Thomas had followed protocol and therefore, there was not any action they could impose that would inhibit her from the competition. 

Thomas’ opinion on it all has remained relatively unknown. To ESPN she explained that her interest was in swimming, not in other’s opinion on her participation. Thomas did not participate in media questioning after the championship, however, which is required per NCAA bylaws. Her failure to do such could result in punishment from the NCAA in some fashion. 

On Friday, March 18, Thomas raced again in the 200-meter swim. She finished fifth, tying Florida’s Riley Gaines. Swimming powerhouse Stanford boasts the winner Taylor Ruck, who finished the race just under two seconds prior to Thomas and Gaines. Ironically, it is the same margin by which Thomas bested Weyant for her 500-meter title. 

The conversation surrounding Thomas is one of deep emotions on both sides. From fear to excitement, disgust to praise, different words have been used to describe Thomas’ season. Both sides have made their points and discussion is surely not over. However, the NCAA’s rulings stand firm. There will be a place for trans women who successfully complete protocol in collegiate sports competition. Undoubtedly, others will follow in Thomas’ place. The NCAA will adopt USA Swimming’s standards in the next year, which will require trans athletes to have undergone at least three years of hormone treatment. That ruling would have disqualified Thomas, who would be only six months shy of that standard. 

Some of Thomas’ competitors have been vocal regarding her ability to participate. Virginia Tech’s Reka Gyorgy penned a letter to the NCAA in opposition to Thomas’ participation. Gyorgy finished the season 17th overall, one slot shy of making the championship meet. However, not all of Thomas’ competitors have been fixated on her transition. Erica Sullivan of Texas placed third in the 500-meter race and has assured readers of her Newsweek essay that the most pressing issues in women’s sports do not involve transgender athletes. 

Thomas made history on March 17. It could be years before another trans athlete has the same opportunity to do so. However, it seems clear through it all that Thomas’ concern has never been her gender or how others perceive her participation. She showed up to swim. And, on March 17, that was exactly what she did. Her five-year-long collegiate career has now ended, and she returned to Philadelphia with a gold medal around her neck to show for it. 

It feels as though every year, the ESPN bracket challenge gets shorter and shorter. Teams pinned to win it all choke in the first round. Teams that people have never heard of prior to the tournament find nationwide fans. Others, crushed from their team’s loss, turn off the TV and likely will not watch again until the championship held in early April. 

When the women’s March Madness bracket was announced, there was a similar thread connecting all the number one seeds. All had red and white as their primary colors. South Carolina, North Carolina, Stanford and Louisville all took the top spots for the bracket, which, for the first time ever, was comprised of 68 teams. Louisville and South Carolina both belong to the Altlantic Coast Conference. It is rare for two top seeds to come from the same conference, but the teams these two programs boast are clear contenders to top their respective tracks. 

The greatest story of the tournament, however, has not come from any of these top seeds. Instead, two teams have made headlines. One is seeking to make a place for their program. The other is seeking to remind others that they have not left their prowess behind. 

UConn is a second seed this year. For head coach Geno Auriemma, the tournament is nothing new. Auriemma has won 11 championships during his coaching tenure. He has managed to create a program that, to recruits, means a high probability of leaving with at least one ring by the time they graduate. In order to best North Carolina in the Elite Eight, the Huskies turned to now-sophomore Paige Bueckers to lead the team to an upset win. Auriemma credited their win to Bueckers’ ability to remain calm in the big moments. 

The Huskies’ success is not a shock to basketball fans. As they look to Stanford in the Final Four, the game will certainly be a battle. However, a lesser known team burst onto the scene this year and took out some of the highest seeds in their division. Creighton women’s basketball was a ten seed at the beginning of the tournament. Before falling to South Carolina in the Elite Eight, they would best seven seed UC Boulder, two seed Iowa and three seed Iowa State. Their closest game came from Iowa, who they bested by just two points to meet Iowa State who they would beat by eight. Ultimately, their fall to South Carolina by 30 points put a stop to their postseason run. While their dreams of cutting down the nets have been dashed, it is not likely that many will forget the Bluejay’s deep postseason run. 

Their upset over Iowa shocked many and will hopefully give the team the confidence they need for the next season, which might allow a higher seed and thus prevent upsets. 

Just last season, there were nine upsets in the first round of the men’s tournament alone. Who could forget Oral Roberts’ upset that busted brackets and made history, with the team being just the second 15 seed to ever make it to the Sweet Sixteen? Previously, no 15 seed team had ever made their way into the Elite Eight. This year, that changed. 

St. Peter’s out of New Jersey captured the nation’s attention with a first-round win over two seed Kentucky. Headed by Doug Edert’s shooting, the team next faced seven seed Murray State, whom they bested by 10. Against three seed Purdue, the Peacocks saw their tightest win margin of the tournament, ultimately winning against the Boilermakers 67-64. The run of St. Peter’s into the Elite Eight is not only historic—it is life changing for the players of the team and hopefully, for the history of the program. According to Sportico.com, St. Peter’s has a basketball budget of $1.6 million. By contrast, Kentucky’s budget is a humbling $18.3 million. Coach Calipari of Kentucky basketball is the highest-paid college basketball coach, making $86 million a year. Shaheen Holloway makes just under $300,000. Unfortunately, given current NCAA standards, St. Peter’s will not see all of the money that they have garnered throughout the tournament. It will be dispersed throughout the MAAC conference. 

Even with their loss to 8 seed UNC in the Elite Eight, projections say the Peacocks will be back. This time, it is likely people will bet on rather than against them, and their wins will mean success for their new supporters rather than busted brackets. 

Super Bowl LVI was destined for history before the first whistle blew. For the first time in NFL history, the game was moved from its original weekend. Due to COVID-19, playoff dates were altered and games were postponed. The game was forced to be moved to Feb. 13, much to the dismay of any Valentine’s Day celebrators who are not entranced by the sport. After an eventful playoff season, the Rams and the Bengals were set for their championship match at the Ram’s home SoFi stadium in Los Angeles. 

A Bengals and Rams matchup was considered unlikely in the beginning of the season. While both teams had seen moderate and increased success thanks to coaching changes and better draft picks, the two teams were still unlikely picks to see the Super Bowl. Last season, the Rams ranked second in the NFC West with 10 wins and 6 losses. However, in the off-season the Rams traded the Detroit Lions their quarterback Jared Goff along with two draft picks in order to land Matthew Stafford, who had anchored the Lion’s offense for 13 seasons. At the urging of head coach Sean McVay, General Manager Les Snead produced the trade McVay felt he and his Rams needed. Little did he know in the course of a season, a man who was a superstar for Detroit would become a nationally renowned athlete. 

For the Bengals’ part, their draft pick of Joe Burrow in 2020 was thought by many to be a trap. He would risk his talent and potentially his health by becoming a Bengal. While Burrow had little say in the situation, his past two seasons in the NFL have proven he has the ability to make the best out of a bad situation. His rookie season was cut short, however, when in week 11 of the 2020-2021 season he tore his ACL and MCL against the Washington Commanders. The Bengals went 4-11 on the season. 

The two quarterbacks were beloved by their cities and brought with them a devoted fan base. For the Rams’ benefit, they had the advantage of Stafford fans who had watched him struggle to make the playoffs in Detroit. While he was no longer a Lion, they rooted for him anyway. For Burrow’s part, there had been an entire generation of fans who had not seen their team make the Super Bowl. Excitement, for the city of Cincinnati, was an understatement. The quarterbacks themselves are easy to root for: neither had been to the Super Bowl before. Their presence there had come about through nothing short of a Cinderella story. 

It is essential to note, though, that it is not only the quarterbacks that made the excitement around Super Bowl LVI what it was. Both teams had fan-favorite names on them, with even better stories behind them. The Rams boast an impressive roster. With highly recognizable names like Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham, Jr., Andrew Whitworth and Von Miller, the team had successfully compiled some of the most beloved players from across the league with stellar stories which made it easy for fans to root for them—either all season, or just on February 13. 

The Bengals, alternatively, have a relatively young roster. Some of the best performers are only in their first or second seasons.  Burrow, in his sophomore season, has relied on Tee Higgins (also a sophomore) and his fellow LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase as wide receivers. Quickly, Florida’s kicker Evan McPhearson became beloved on special teams while Joe Mixon and Eli Apple have been other, albeit older, staples for the team. 

Ultimately, the Bengals would fall to the Rams in the last quarter after taking the lead in the third. The Rams’ victory came from a touchdown in the last minute of play, leaving the Bengals little time to make up the deficit. Early in the game, Odell Beckham, Jr., was taken out of the game due to injury, which led to concern for the Rams, having lost one of their best receivers. Ultimately, it would make no difference for the team and Cooper Kupp stepped up to make up the deficit. While this is not the Rams franchise’s first Super Bowl win, it is the first since their move to Los Angeles. Their first win came in Super Bowl XXXIV while they were still in St. Louis. History for the Bengals came in a much more disappointing manner when they allowed seven sacks on their quarterback: the most in Super Bowl history. 

 The stories that the two teams hold were stories begging to be told. 2022 was certainly their year and their time to put their franchise on the map. For many, a Stafford win seemed fitting after years in Detroit. For Burrow, while those rooting for his Bengals may be disappointed, his youth and continued growth allow fans to hope that this will not be his first and last Super Bowl. Even those rooting for Burrow and the Bengals in the game cannot help but root for Cooper Kupp and his devoted wife, who sacrificed in college so they might share a moment like a Super Bowl win together. Aaron Donald had promised his daughter that they would one day play in the confetti of a Super Bowl together—a promise he was able to keep. Sean McVay became the youngest coach in NFL history to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. 

It could be argued that Super Bowl LVI was made for the older fans of football. With fans rooting for their teams who had not seen glory in years, it was finally their time to shine. Accentuated by a halftime performance with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre, the 2022 Super Bowl was unique for all the right reasons. 

February 2 brought about another National Women and Girls in Sports Day. The date is observed in honor of women and their consistent efforts to diminish and eliminate gender inequalities in sports. It serves as a day to celebrate the success that women experience in sports year-round. It also serves as a reminder of all the hurdles that were overcome in order for women and girls to have the opportunities to play and engage in sports throughout the United States. Thanks to Title IX, a law passed on June 6, 1972, the sports industry was forever changed for women and girls in the U.S. This summer the 50th anniversary will pass, thanks to the efforts of Edith Green and Patsy Mink—and the relentless women and girls who fought for generations prior to Green putting the words of “sports equity” down on paper. Today, the sports industry has undergone radical change thanks to the demands and standards set forth by Mink’s and Green’s work. 

There are stories of women doing ridiculous things to bring attention to the ridiculous inequalities they faced. In 1976, Yale’s women’s crew team made headlines for standing naked in front of Yale administrator Joni Barrett in order to confront her with the bodies Yale allowed their athletic department to exploit. In 1973, Billie Jean King faced off with Bobby Riggs, the man thought to be the world’s best tennis player. She won and took home $100,000. The match remains titled, “Battle of the Sexes.” Today, schools continue to be investigated for Title IX violations. It remains, unfortunately, a modern problem. 

However, enormous change and enormous wins have come about in the 50 years since the law’s passing into legislation. An easy show of American women’s athletic prowess comes from the Olympics. In 2012, the United States sent more female athletes than male. In both the summer and winter Olympics, the women’s USA team has taken home more medals than the men’s team. Globally, they outshone every other country in medal count. The women of the United States have made sure to make up for the lost time they suffered at the hands of inequality. Another important sign for women’s sports was settled on February 22, 2022 when the U.S. women’s national team reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay. The litigation took six years and ultimately paid the women $22 million in back pay with $2 million dollars being set aside for the women in the case to apply and then donate a maximum of $50,000 toward a charity of their choice. Those charities are likely to be centered around advancing young women in soccer. Additionally, the U.S. Soccer Federation agreed that they will pay the women’s team the same amount of money they pay the men’s team. 

For many female athletes, the long fight for equality is not lost on modernity. Female athletes today understand that it is the work of the women before them who allow them to play and perform at levels which were previously unavailable to them. Erin McClelland, an alumna of the Saint Louis University field hockey team and the current University of Virginia field hockey team manager said, “Sports have taught me to be confident in my own strength and ability, and how important it is to uplift and support those around you whenever you can.” The sports avenue has provided this outlet for many women. Women and girls who could not quite find their niche without sport have found solace in their ability to perform at the highest levels of sport. There is space for women here, too. It has taught women how to uplift one another and have courage in the person they are. The chance to be a teammate is the chance to create lifelong friends and experience a unique part of life. SLU field hockey alumna Julianne Sacco shared that, “Sport to me means many things. Being a part of sports has taught me life lessons.” Those life lessons were previously unavailable to girls and women. Many of those lessons can be directly translated into professional careers, which has given many a leg up in their lives. Learning things like efficient communication, leadership and dealing with adversity prepares young people for success. 

Demi Sahuleka, a current member of the SLU field hockey team, said, “It’s an escape but also my life. It’s literally a part of me.” This is an important dichotomy to acknowledge. Sports provide women an expressive and physical outlet. This can be a helpful asset for their mental health. The stability and success that a sport can provide is also an important asset that women can use to help combat other stressful points of life. Idalia Enos played basketball for SLU but was a standout soccer player throughout her high school career as well. She said, “It was a release for me, a release of all outside distractions or problems.” The chance to engage in sports was a chance to forget the outside world. No matter what was going on outside of practice, those hours within provide an escape. For an hour or more a day, women and girls can come together and enjoy something they love, with people they love, in an uplifting environment. Stepping back out after practice can be refreshing and provide clarity. After a hard workout, an individual can be prepared to take on the next part of their day with a new sense of readiness.

Ultimately, it provides women with something they can be proud of—they can be awarded their own medals on their own platforms. As Caroline Miller, a thrower on the SLU track and field team explains, “It means a moment of my day for myself and a moment away from the stressors of the day. It means doing something I love and doing something my family can be proud of me for.” Families are able to share in the success of their daughters, mothers and sisters. Sports have begun to run in the bloodline. 

For women like Karen Shriner who grew up in the early years of Title IX’s passage, sports represented “an opportunity and a chance to be committed to something.” In a very basic sense, the opportunity to create commitment and maintain that commitment was something that women had to fight for the right to have. Women and girls were not expected to agree to physical activity and then follow through, week after week after week. Alisa Zannetti, a mother of two daughters who are both involved in athletics said that the opportunity to play sports meant “equal importance.” For the first time, space was carved out for women to be engaged in athletics. It required individuals to pay attention. Today, it is the women who are in professional athletics, who play college sports, and have equal sport representation in high school, who profit off the constant pushing, asking and prodding that the generations before them did. 

Zoe Adkins was a field hockey player at Maine before she became a graduate assistant at Franklin Pierce University; eventually she would become the Ravens’ head coach. She is now the head coach of Saint Louis University field hockey. When asked what sport meant to her, she reflected and said, “It’s hard to put into words all that sport means to me. It’s been an avenue of opportunity that helped me obtain two degrees. It’s allowed me to pursue a career I am whole-heartedly passionate about. While also providing friendships and memories to last a lifetime. Lastly, one of the greatest lessons sport has taught me is that you’re capable of so much more than you set your mind to.” Prior to Title IX’s passage, college athletics were relatively unattainable for certain economic classes. Today, the competition of college athletics at all levels draws the best athletes both nationally and internationally. The benefit of the United States’ law has gone on to benefit countless international students, like Adkins who hails from Canada. Sport has opened countless avenues of sports for women that have altered their life paths for the better. 

The years are gone where Babe Didrikson burst onto the sports scene, scandalizing reporters with her mannerisms and impolite quips. But the woman who scandalized the early 1900s sports industry laid a path for others to follow. Slowly, as the path became more trodden, women stood before an opportunity to pass a law that demanded equality. Equality for funding, time, representation. In a simple sense, they were demanding opportunity and would stop at nothing to see it. Title IX started the whirlwind for women’s athletic success in the U.S. Given recent trends, it seems that whirlwind will not be slowing any time soon. After all, they have a lot of catching up to do and records to break. Feb. 2 stood as a solemn reminder of all the girls that Title IX has let play, too… and all the work there is left to do. 

A year ago, Chaifetz Arena was abuzz. With COVID-19 forcing all 18 varsity sports to be played at once, it was humming with incessant activity. Now, however, we have returned to a traditional schedule, which means that only six sports will be center stage for administration and teams. Many of the Billikens’ sports teams came out of a shortened season triumphant. 

The six sports that will happen this spring are baseball, softball, women’s and men’s tennis and coed track and field. All six show promising beginnings for a stellar season. 

Track is fortunate, being able to come off the indoor season and head directly into their outdoor season. Already, two names on the men’s team stand out for imminent success throughout the 2022 season. Myles Gascon, a senior sprinter and hurdler, broke the school’s indoor record for the 60-meter dash on Jan. 15, 2022. He ended the 2021 season with a silver medal at A-10s in the 100-meter dash. Undoubtedly, he will be hungry to take the top podium spot this season. After breaking a school record, he is in a poised position to feed off his success and use that to fuel himself into a championship. This past week, his teammate Danny Hopkins saw success by posting the second fastest time in the A-10 400 meter sprint all year. Hopkins has a silver medal for his 200-meter performance in his sophomore year. Clearly, the Nebraska Graduate Classic was the tip of the iceberg for the Billikens’ men’s track season. With a great number of newcomers, and a successful backlog of throwers, the season is sure to hold more records. If last season was any indication, there will be plenty of medals around Billiken’s necks at the end of the season. 

On the women’s side, fifth-year returner Katie Wissing will look to have a repeat performance of her gold medal meet at the A-10 Championships last year. It was her third triple jump gold. Senior distance runner Megan Kress has had a career full of personal bests. As the Billiken’s top place finisher at the conference meet for cross country season, the distance group will look to her in order to anchor their group. The women’s team will also put forward an impressive group of sprinters and throwers. The individuals span all four years of university competitive experience and have rivaled one another consistently to put forward some of the team’s best times. The team will spend this next season looking to send more Billikens to the podium along with Wissing. 

Billiken baseball enters the 2022 season after a 17-31 record in 2021. With wins over big names like Kansas, Oral Roberts and Cincinnati, the 2022 Billikens will look to overtake some of those same competitors once again. Oral Roberts is back on the schedule along with a difficult A-10 group. In order to overtake these competitors, the team will look to Cam Redding to perform for the team in the same way he has for the past three years. An infielder and catcher, his athleticism is a necessity for the Billikens’ rotation. Last season, he started every game. His stats prove his experience has surmounted to something close to expertise. Just last season, he topped the Billiken statistics with a .377 batting average and .537 slugging percentage. He also held the top spot for total hits (57) and bases (95), 35 runs scored, 47 runs batted in, singles, doubles and triples. The roster also welcomes eight transfers with four coming from the University of Missouri, who battled the Billikens for a 2-1 win last season. While those new Billikens will not have an opportunity to play their old school, the group certainly brings expertise garnered from intense SEC play. 

The softball team will look to build on a 19-27 season and continue their ability to defend home base. Their home record last year was 15-13, and they held a 10-12 conference record. Coach Connyer added seven freshmen to the roster, which will add some much needed numbers to the program. Graduate student Sadie Wise leads the Billikens’ offense. She holds the top spot for SLU’s record list with her batting average (.378), slugging percentage (.664), 33 home runs, 48 double hits and 365 total bases. She was named Saint Louis University’s Outstanding Female Senior Student Athlete and was even nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year. On the defensive end, Chole Wendling leads the Billiken’s pitching staff with her statistics: from starts to appearances, wins, innings, earned runs average, fewest walks, shutouts, saves and complete games. The young Billiken team will need the pair’s expertise on the offensive and defensive ends in order to best some of their opponents this spring. Games to watch will be played against Omaha, Ole Miss, Iowa and Mizzou. 

Finally, men’s and women’s tennis will look to improve upon a wildly successful 2021 postseason. Senior Oscar Alvarez leads the men’s side of the court. This past season he saw success into the second round of the A-10 Championship meet. He led the team in total wins with 21, 9 singles and 12 doubles wins. He tied his doubles partner, Adam Behun, for doubles wins. A likely pair again this season, the two will look to make a further run in the tournament both independently and with their partner.

On the women’s side, junior Elizabeth Mintusova leads the team with 12 singles wins, a .857 singles winning percentage, 10 doubles wins with a .769 doubles winning percentage, 22 total wins and a .815 overall winning percentage. After her performance she was named the team’s Outstanding Player. Senior Mariona Perez, her doubles partner, follows her statistics, and the two will likely be paired again in order to see another championship run. 

Overall, the Billikens’ 2022 spring season holds much promise. As the teams battle familiar opponents and new competitors, they will bring with them staples of the athletic department. Competitiveness, excellence and success are all pillars which the department strives to instill in its athletes. This next season will see plenty of all three on the national stage thanks to an impressive Billiken standard. 

On Monday, Dec. 6,  the White House announced that no diplomatic leaders will be present at the Beijing 2022 Olympic games. United States Olympic athletes, however, are still permitted and encouraged to attend and perform at the games. It is common for attending countries to send diplomatic convoys to the Olympics, as in some cases, diplomatic opportunities and international rapport might be exactly what the world needs. Nevertheless, the political leaders of the United States have decided that silence will speak louder than any conversation that could be had at the Games. 

The United States’ decision is prompted by the current atmosphere in China, highlighted by the ongoing human rights crises in Xinjiang. Xinjiang has been the site of religious persecution for Uyghur Muslims. In order to silence concerns about these practices, the government took steps in surveillance and censoring those being persecuted. The decision of the United States was also propelled by the recent circumstances preceding the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shuai. 

Often seen as an opportunity for international unity, the Olympic Games have historically been one of the only fields with the greatest number of international participants where the citizens of represented countries are not meeting in war. The Games have gone through some of the most prominent moments in global history. 

The political decision has yet to be criticized as it has been met with bipartisan support; a unique circumstance in modern American politics. In 1936, the United States attended the Olympic Games in Berlin, hosted by peak Nazi Germany. The U.S.’s attendance at the games came without contingency. In fact, it was clear that Germany’s goal in hosting the Olympics was to demonstrate its national pride and power. When Germany began preparation for the Olympics, they expelled all Jewish individuals from their national sports teams, which was a cause for concern for the United States and several other countries. Upon threatening to boycott the Games, Germany relented and reinstalled any Jews they had previously disgraced. Ultimately, the United States would send their best athletes which notoriously included Jesse Owens and John Woodhall. Much to Hitler’s dismay, both Black men would best their competitors. Despite the controversies, the 1936 Games installed the Olympic torch relay—a tradition that has bookended every Games since. 

The 1936 Games seem especially relevant with Monday morning’s White House press release. On Dec. 6, White House Speaker Jen Psaki expressed that the United States would be diplomatically boycotting due to, “…the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang,” which marks the very same basis on which many criticize the United States’ attendance of the 1936 Games. 

This boycott is not the United States’ first. In 1980, the United States instituted a proper boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games. President Carter called for the boycott in retaliation for the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. In a show of solidarity, 60 other countries boycotted the Olympics after the United States’ ruling, which resulted in the fewest represented countries since 1956. The United States threatened athletes who attempted to attend with possible passport revocation. In response to the boycott, the Soviet Union did not attend the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Unfortunately for the Soviet Union, the Los Angeles Olympics resulted in performance success for the United States. The 1984 Games even set a record for participating countries—even without the Soviets and their allies. The decision to not attend the Los Angeles Games in 2028 could be one that China decides to make, just as Russia had in the ‘80s. 

This further emphasizes that historically, the United States has little to worry about in their boycott against the PRC. The reason behind the  United States deciding to perform a diplomatic boycott rather than a traditionally recognized boycott is due to the notion that it is unfair to punish world-class athletes who have dedicated their careers to training for the Games. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committees have both stated they will not endorse any political measures that would prevent the participation of U.S. athletes. To China’s credit, they have stated that this bold move is not threatening, as they had yet to officially invite any American diplomats. Additionally, spokesman Zhao Lijian stated that “the Winter Olympic Games is not a stage for political posturing and manipulation,” only further solidifying the fact that China does not stand by the United States’ political demonstration. 

Many believe that the Olympics help signal international unity and the ability to interact and compete peacefully. Typically, athletes are accompanied by current political leaders; just this summer, Dr. Jill Biden accompanied American athletes to Tokyo for the Summer Olympics. While the United States has yet to be joined in the boycott by any other allies, officials in the Biden administration felt it was impossible to remain silent due to the ongoing genocide.

In the time leading up to the 2022 Winter Games, interesting developments are to be expected. The Olympics Games are arguably the most important two weeks in sports, and without political interference, there would undoubtedly be historic stories that unfold. Retaliation, allyship and more loaded statements are sure to come in the weeks leading up to the next Games. For now, however, the United States will remain resolute in its decision, as China’s response is awaited. 

On October 19, 2021, Billikens Athletics announced the addition of the O’Loughlin Family Champions Center. The state-of-the art, twenty-million dollar facility is set to open beginning in 2023. The facility is entirely privately funded with the primary donation coming from CEO of Lodging Hospitality Management, Bob O’Loughlin, along with donations from numerous other individuals. 

While O’Loughlin has placed the largest and primary funds down, he is not the only donating individual. The full list of donors includes Bob and Kathy O’Loughlin, Centene Corporation (Student Success Suite), Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz (Basketball Operations Suites), Joe and Daria Conran, Jim Kavanaugh and World Wide Technology (Soccer Operations Suites), Michael and Noémi Neidorff (Student Success Suite), Keith Phoenix (Team Dining Suite), Mark & Joy Scoggins and Floyd & Judith Crowder (Technology Suite), Linda and Alan Vogt (Student-Athlete Development Program), Don and Nancy Ross, Pat and Peggy Sly, Greg, Stubblefield and Nancy Apel, The Wool Family, Pat Arnall, Scott and Linsey Highmark, Larry and Kathy Hill, Joe and Kim Koenig, Larry and Dot LeGrand, Bo and Terry Mehan, Michael and Marsha Nester, Dr. Bob and Cinda Ryan, Jerry Thomasson as well as two anonymous donors (Performance Nutrition Center). 

Each area of the addition is designed to bring an edge to the performance of SLU’s student-athletes. As expressed by Athletic Director Chris May, this new building and development will bring Saint Louis University athletics to the same level and caliber as some of the most recognized and acclaimed athletic departments in the country. The Student Success Suite will be the cornerstone of the new building, which will work to continue producing the kinds of athletes and people that Saint Louis University athletics strives to create. Offering counseling services related to career, spiritual, psychological and academic issues, the new center will be a hub for athletes to take steps for success in their athletic and academic performances. For example, The Performance Nutrition Center will offer athletes the opportunity to learn how to fuel their bodies, optimizing recovery and performance. It also offers athletes a community space where they can join together across teams in order to create a stronger sense of unity within the department. The Team Dining Suite will allow SLU teams to simultaneously dine and break down film or perform scouting against upcoming opponents. 

 Richard A. Chaifetz, Ph.D, is known for his passionate love of the SLU basketball team, which led him to produce a donation towards a new hub for basketball operations and recruiting. Jim Kavanaugh and World Wide Technology made a similar donation for Saint Louis soccer. The hubs are intended to create a larger draw for some of the nation’s most sought after recruits. The Vogt family has also contributed in the name of development for student athletes. The Student-Athlete Development Program is intended to allow student-athletes to reach their full potential through leadership, personal development as well as mentorship and networking abilities. Additionally, this program will tap into the successful Billiken alumni database, allowing student athletes to connect with understanding alumni who appreciate their efforts throughout their time in a Billiken’s uniform. 

Ground is set to be broken for the two-story building beginning in 2022. Its placement will be on the right-hand side of Chaifetz on the green space adjacent to the Billiken Plaza. The center has been born in the name of creating the greatest opportunity for Billiken student-athletes. Beyond athletics, the center seeks to capitalize on the latest and most innovative technology and research to better serve the Billiken athletes. From proper food intake to mental health assistance to building a stronger community, the O’Loughlin Family Champions Center strives to create one of the most powerful athletic departments in the country. With the success of the Billikens this year it is clear that the SLU’s Department of Athletics is becoming nationally renowned. 

Many other Division I schools boast their impressive athletic departments. Their buildings themselves speak to the level of competition at which the teams housed within play. Think of Clemson and their designated nap room housed within the Tiger’s facility. Many Division I athletic departments have athlete-only cafeterias wherein registered dieticians can control the quality of food and advise athletes on individualized nutrition standards. The Billikens are seeking to create something similar. Two classes of current student-athletes will not have access to the O’Loughlin Family Champion’s Center before its completion. However, this seems almost symbolic. After all, the Champion’s Center is intended to house, produce, and develop what the athletic department hopes will be generations of student-athletes.