Winter 2009 - Mitchell College

Feature Story
Mariners Set for
Maiden Voyage in NCAA
connued from inside front cover
“We knew Mitchell would be going to a four-year
program and we in the athlec department had to
decide what we wanted to do,” remembers Yarnall.
“We considered both Division II and Division
III, but given Mitchell’s size and the fact that the
NCAA wasn’t growing the number of Division II
schools in the northeast, we recommended
Division III. We had the
facilies, both indoors
and out, we felt we
could be compe-
ve in Division
III, and
that it would be more in keeping
with the college’s
mission and values.”
“...colleges and
universies in
Division III place
highest priority
on the overall
quality of the
educaonal
experience and
on the successful
compleon of all
students’
academic
programs.”
“We see non-scholarship student
athletes as students first,” White
says. “Athlecs is a privilege.”
According to the NCAA, colleges
and universies in Division
III place highest priority on the
overall quality of the educaonal
experience and on the successful
compleon of all students’
academic programs. They seek to
establish and maintain an environment
in which a student-athlete’s athlecs acvies are
conducted as an integral part of the student-athlete’s
educaonal experience. They also seek to establish and
maintain an environment that values cultural diversity
and gender equity among their student-athletes and
athlecs staff.
“It’s a huge deal,” White adds. “This move will help
Mitchell gain broader recognion and provide a number
of opportunies that, unl now, were not op-
ons at Mitchell.” These include parcipaon
in naonal championships, the ability to
nominate Mitchell
student
athletes for
Academic All-
The mighty MARINERS! What a great name,
what a wonderful mascot to symbolize the
history T and essence of Mitchell College, a
history wrien on the banks of the Thames
River. It was from these shores that thousands
of men le home to do bale against
the elements and ply their trade on the
open seas. Today, our student athletes will wear our colors and
represent Mitchell College on the fields of compeon named in
honor of these Mariners.
During my days as a student athlete at Mitchell, we were
proudly known as the Pequots. At the me, we celebrated a
fine history of success on the soccer field. Our professors and
coaches prepared us well for future leadership posions in our
4 MitchellTODAY
Mitchell College
Mariners
By Hank Steinbrecher ’69
selected careers. Our coach, Warren
Swanson, was a leader in American soccer,
serving as President of the Soccer Coach’s Associa-
on. (I had the privilege of coaching Coach Swanson’s
two sons during my tenure as Head Soccer Coach at
Boston University. )
Mitchell College has experienced dynamic change
over the past few years. Now a fully accredited fouryear
instuon, Mitchell’s student athletes will be
known as the Mariners, compeng in the NCAA Division
III. Why are these changes so important for
Mitchell College? They are important because they
give the College a new and symbolic identy, one that
represents our history and our community, one that
also embraces the future.
Mitchell College will be compeng in the NCAA as
a Division III instuon. This is a terrific step for the
College to take. It marries the mission of Mitchell College
with the core ideology of the NCAA. As a member
of the NCAA, Mitchell College will be compeng
with similar instuons that share a sound philosophy