Connecting Past with Present: Maryland Women's Basketball Alumni Gather at Comcast Center
1/20/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2009
In seven years since being named the head coach of the Maryland women's basketball team, Brenda Frese has built a national championship caliber program which consistently ranks among the nation's elite. But better than anyone, Frese recognizes that the job could not have been done without a strong foundation with which to work.
On Sunday, Frese gathered with her predecessors as former Terrapin coaches Dottie McKnight and Chris Weller joined over 20 former players at an alumni gathering following the Terps' 96-79 victory over Virginia Tech.
The annual event was held in Sprint Heritage Hall at the Comcast Center. With a packed gathering of the Rebounders Booster Club and current players filling the room, Frese and the assembled former players and coaches each introduced themselves and addressed the crowd.
Although the alumni event is nothing new, the women's basketball program hopes to further incorporate the rich tradition of Maryland women's basketball into its present and future. Maryland had been known as one of the nation's top programs even before Frese's arrival, as the Terps advanced to three Final Fours and won eight ACC championships under Weller.
On Sunday, the Terrapins of yesterday were invited to leave their mark with the team of today. Just outside the Maryland locker room, a glass wall is littered with the signatures and messages of players who put in their time on the hardwood at the Comcast Center and the former home of the Terps, Cole Field House. After touring the facilities as part of the event, all former Terps were invited to sign the wall and leave inspirational messages of their own - whether their time with the Terps came at Comcast Center or the venerable Cole Field House.
Messages were conveyed from the podium as well. When it was her turn to speak, Angela Scott (1975-77) spoke of her intense pride and passion for the Terps which has carried through to this day as she watches the current crop of student-athletes perform. She described Maryland women's basketball alumni as a "special sisterhood" that was proud to be a part of the Maryland program forever.
When it was her turn at the podium, the leader of the present-day Terps emphasized the importance of keeping the program's history at the forefront. Frese expressed her excitement to have the alumni back in College Park on Sunday, and the program's desire to build new traditions and bring back some old ones which would help every alum reconnect with the program.
One practical application of that, Frese hopes, will be the team's website, www.MarylandWomensBasketball.com. Started last fall as the basketball season got underway, the site is still growing and improving its coverage of the team. Michelle Miller (1997-99), who joined Frese's coaching staff last summer and has overseen the development of the site, expressed a desire to feature the on and off-the-court accomplishments of alumni on the site.
Events such as Sunday's indicate that there is already a strong desire among the alumni to stay a part of Maryland women's basketball. Any alumni who wants to reconnect should visit the "Contact Us" section of www.MarylandWomensBasketball.com and fill out the online form.
The storied past mingled with the triumphant present at Sunday's gathering of alumni and supporters. Through the pride and passion shown by the alumni, the future of Maryland women's basketball looks just as bright.
