Rothenhoefer Redemption: A Rosemont Restart
by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Coyne Archive
|
| The Rosemont women's lacrosse team will have a new
nickname, a new conference and a new coach when it returns from a
nearly three-year hiatus. Former West Chester player Leigh Pesko
(above), will be charged with fulfilling Lynn
Rothenhoefer's quest of bringing the Ramblers back to the D-III
world. © Rosemont Athletics |
Lynn Rothenhoefer was having an identity crisis.
It was the spring of 2007 and the Rosemont women's lacrosse team,
which Rothenhoefer had founded in 2001 at the tiny school located
11 miles northwest of downtown Philadelphia, was floundering. Not
only were the Ravens (then the Ramblers) getting crushed -
Centenary defeated Rosemont 22-6 in what was to be the final game
of the season - but they barely had enough players to field a
team.
They had already gone through the usual desperate attempts used by
struggling programs, such as hitting up friends and roommates to
fill out the roster. It just wasn't working.
Successive paltry recruiting classes were finally catching up to
Rothenhoefer's program, and it was becoming ever clearer that it
was not sustainable under the existing structure. The fact that
Rosemont, which at the time was an all-women's college, was
struggling just to fill beds compounded the problem.
Three games into the '07 season, the decision was made to suspend
the Ravens and put the program on a two-year hiatus. It was an odd
situation because not only was Rothenhoefer the head women's
lacrosse coach, but she was also the athletic director - two roles
that found themselves on opposing sides of the fence.
As it turned out, Rothenhoefer the AD ended the career of
Rothenhoefer the coach.
Hence, Rothenhoefer's lacrosse schizophrenia.
"I was the founder of the program, I was the head coach, and I was
the athletic director. All three of those people were not happy
with having to make this decision," she said.
Because of her nearly total control of the situation, it's easy to
point the dirty end of the stick at Rothenhoefer for the forced
hibernation of the women's lacrosse program at Rosemont.
Easy, but unfair.
What ultimately caused the suspension was the failure of an
institution to transition into the modern world of collegiate
athletics.
When Rothenhoefer started at Rosemont, in addition to inaugurating
the women's lacrosse program, she was also the field hockey coach
and sports information director. Fulfilling multiple roles is
certainly not uncommon, especially in a small operation, but that
was just the beginning for Rothenhoefer. In 2005, she was handed
the reins to the entire department on top of her other duties.
Predictably, the increased workload had an impact.
"I didn't have the time to recruit, so the numbers started to drop
on our team," said Rothenhoefer. "We were in a period where our
enrollment dropped as well. When we got to the point in 2007, we
were really struggling with numbers. It got to the point where we
were consistently battling with the question: can we field a team
for our games?"
Rothenhoefer went through a range of emotions when the reality
settled in. She was frustrated she could not complete her task,
even in the face of ridiculous working conditions. She was angry
she wasn't getting the support she needed. She was slightly
embarrassed to be the chair of the NCAA Division III committee,
which she was then, yet unable to keep her team on the field.
But mostly, her soul hurt.
"It was heartbreaking because quite honestly I love the game of
lacrosse; I love coaching," she said. "It was somewhat of an
identity check for me because I knew I had to make a transition.
You are either going to coach or you are going to be an
administrator. The coach in me wanted to keep going and tough it
out, but the AD in me knew that that was not the wise choice for
the girls standing out on the field everyday."
Fortunately for Rothenhoefer, she is nearing a complete
recuperation from her crisis. Rosemont's nearly three-year hiatus
is coming to a conclusion this coming spring.
She has entrusted the resurrection of the program to Leigh Pesko, a
'07 graduate and four-year letterwinner for D-II power West
Chester. Pesko's Philly roots and her experience coaching numerous
prep teams competing in the Keystone Games made her a logical
choice to restart the Ravens.
Predictably, the expectations will be reasonable.
While Rosemont has a tradition dating back to 2001, it will be a
start-up program in everything but name. It's a fresh set of
players, a rookie coach, and a different attitude. Even the
conference they are playing in has changed its name since the
Ravens last competed - the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference morphed
into the Colonial States Athletic conference in the summer of
2008.
"It will be a whole new program under Leigh," conceded
Rothenhoefer.
That fact would have been tough to accept in 2007, but Rothenhoefer
has gotten over it. Part of the catharsis has been making good on
her quest to bring the women's lacrosse program back to Rosemont.
As it turns out, she's gone one step further for her beloved
sport.
With Rosemont admitting men for the first time this fall, the
athletic director is happy to announce the inaugural men's lacrosse
season will be in 2012.
But it will be a once-familiar site bringing Rothenhoefer her
biggest thrill.
When she pushes back from her desk in the corner office of the
athletic department on March 18 of next year, meanders out to the
playing fields, and watches Rosemont host Penn State-Abington in a
women's lacrosse game, Rothenhoefer will know that the 1,098 day
ordeal that once forced her to question her coaching selfhood is
finally over.
And that will be a good day for lacrosse, and for Rothenhoefer.
"You have no idea," she said.
