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La Roche competes in NCAA Division III and is a founding member of the
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC). The Redhawks compete in 11
varsity sports—men’s and women’s basketball, men’s baseball, men’s and
women’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s softball,
women’s tennis, women’s volleyball.
The other nine members of the AMCC are: Franciscan University of Steubenville,
Frostburg State University, Hilbert College, Medaille College, Mount Aloysius
College, Penn State-Altoona, Penn State-Erie, the University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford, and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
“The whole Division III philosophy is based on ‘pay to play’ because we don’t offer
athletic scholarships,” said La Roche Athletic Director Jim Tinkey. “Any grants and
scholarships are based on academics or financial need. Our students have to
keep up with their studies. So it’s up to our coaches to sell kids on our program.”
For those who do buy in, the demands can be great but the rewards even greater.
Erica Monaco (pictured right) was a standout softball player at Pine-Richland
High School when she decided to enroll at La Roche and play at the collegiate
level. As she prepared to graduate this spring with a degree in sociology, Monaco
reflected on her four-year career as a member of the women’s softball team.
“Playing for La Roche was a lot different from playing in high school,” said the
two-year captain. “At times it was frustrating to balance school and sports, but I’m
glad I stuck it out. Now that I’ve played my last game, I feel like I really
accomplished something.”
Athletics get in your blood. Being offered a chance to play in college
is an opportunity to continue your career. Besides, through athletics,
you learn life skills – working as a team, working for something,
preparing yourself, staying in shape – all of these transfer over
when you move on from here. - Jim Tinkey
Among the challenges for Monaco was a daily trip from her home in Gibsonia, Pa.
“I commuted all four years and softball kept me connected to school,” she said.
“Being on a team is like having a family at school. If not for softball, I might not
have stayed.”
That’s not an uncommon feeling for many student athletes, or students in general.
“When you choose a college, you need to think about life beyond the classroom,
as well as what you learn inside the classroom,” said Thomas Schaefer, Ph.D.,
associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of admissions at La Roche.
“When we interview students for admission, we look at what they’ve done
academically, and we also look at what activities they’ve been a part of, too. We
want to attract well-rounded students, and we encourage them to expand their
interests at college.”
PHOTO: MARTY SANTEK
“We have a bigger mission here than just winning basketball games,” Lang said.
“Sure we want to win. But we tell our recruits that even if we win four national
championships but they leave without a degree, or without learning anything, we
failed. Our bigger mission is to have them grow as individuals. Being on a team is
a great way to experience life and to learn a lot you can’t in a classroom or even
on the job.”
Grady admitted that La Roche presented him with a new perspective – and it
wasn’t one with which he was readily comfortable.
“The team I came from had a lot of individualism and tensions,” he recalled. “It
wasn’t necessarily negative, but everybody wanted to be ‘that guy.’ We won a
national championship, so there was a bit of cockiness in all of us. Our coaches
had the mentality that the guy who produced was the guy who played. It was a
real cutthroat atmosphere.
“At La Roche, it was different. Here, a guy might not be as good as someone else,
but if he worked hard and his ethic was prominent, he got to play. And that was a
big adjustment for me.”
That adjustment didn’t come easily, according to Lang.
“As a freshman, Stacy had all the answers,” Lang said. “He had everything figured
out. He didn’t need anything. He thought he knew how to manipulate the system.”
Eventually, the freshman guard with a ton of potential was asked to leave
the team.
LA ROCHE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2009 13
FEATURE STORY