The Amherst Club

May 25, 2010

Notes

President Larry Siddall opened the meeting with a poem by Rumi. "The Guest House."  Dee Waterman introduced  her guest, Dorothy Johnson, playwright and women's basketball fan.  We welcomed Roger Webb and Vivienne Carey home.  Sadly, the news about Nancy Foster is not encouraging.  Her husband, John, is also having a difficult time, although getting a lot of support from Club members as well as Applewood friends.

Helen Hawkins has resigned from the Club and is moving to Rhode Island to be closer to family.  She wrote a nice note, which Ellen Kosmer read.  Jacquie Price toasted Carolyn Holstein on her birthday, and Carolyn toasted Jacquie on hers.  The Club sang Happy Birthday to both, about which I will say no more.

Larry reminded members that next week is a Board meeting, and the following week is the Annual Meeting.

Harry Brooks introduced Sharon Dawley, the newly arrived women's basketball coach at UMass by way of Tufts,. Dartmouth and, most recently, the University of Vermont.

Sharon and her staff feel warmly received in Amherst; she believes staff and recruiting are the keys to success.  The coaching staff is really attached to the Head Coach, so when Sharon accepted the UMass position, she brought with her the staff with whom she had worked in Vermont.  Recruiting is highly regulated according to a tight calendar so young high school women are not pounced on too soon. Candidates who are being recruited are urged to verbal their verbals.

She believes that women's basketball is more creative than men's; because they are ordinarily not as tall they must work closely as a team.  The "Dawley System" is based upon running and pressing.

The season begins in November, and no doubt some Club members will want to join Dorothy Johnson at the games.

Michael Greenebaum, note-taker