University of Richmond Athletics
My Perspective: Thank You, Seniors
02/27/2001 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2001
RICHMOND, Va. - On Saturday, three members of the University of Richmond women's basketball team will step on to the Robins Center floor for what will likely be the final time as the Spiders host conference power Old Dominion at 7 p.m. For four years, Carolyn Constantakis, Candice Edwards and Lizz Greene have shared one another's joys and cried one another's tears. And on Saturday evening, before the stroke of midnight, their days as teammates will conclude. It doesn't seem possible.
Forget statistics for a moment, because the program - the players, coaches and staff - are better for their four years as ambassadors of Richmond women's basketball than it would have been without them.
They never turned down an autograph from a youngster or an adult and have always been ready with a smile, win or lose. That's because each has a great support system in one another, their families, teammates and coaches. Those individuals love them and they love each of them, through the good times and bad. A scoreboard or stat sheet can't possibly measure their contributions in their time as student-athletes at the University of Richmond.
They have been through a lot together. Through 37 points in a game versus James Madison (Edwards), through waiting her turn in the lineup, before exploding onto the scene and having a breakthrough season as a junior (Greene) and overcoming all obstacles to become one of the top frontcourt players in the Colonial Athletic Association (Constantakis).
Constantakis may be the most inspiring story of all. Here she was as a sophomore, just hoping to finish two more years of basketball. And now as a senior, she "may be our team MVP this year, a real unsung hero" according to Richmond Coach Bob Foley. This season, she became the leader that the staff has always wanted on the floor. She stepped on the court secure with the knowledge that other players were going to get more credit when the final buzzer sounded, even though she was just as valuable to the team's efforts.
Things haven't always been easy for the three seniors - on the court or off. Sometimes we forget that student-athletes are people first, students second and athletes third. They have never asked for or expected ease in their lives and had no desire to endeavor on the path of least resistance for personal benefit.
If it meant spending extra time in the weight room after undergoing reconstructive ankle surgery following her freshman season (Greene), then she was willing to accept the responsibility of being truly great and was ready to do it. Edwards waited - and learned - for her initial two years, enjoyed a terrific season as a junior and has continued her outstanding play in her last year wearing Richmond red and blue.
In the past month, one of the coaches forwarded me a passage out of the book of Psalms. The passage is instructive and when I read it, I often think of the trio. "One's true greatness is seen in adversity. Hard work, disappointments, criticism, misinterpretations, opposition, sorrow and bodily suffering are the tests which show you what you really are...Faith, hope humility, patience and other virtues can be measured only by their testing in real life. In adversity, you cannot deceive yourself, but see yourself as you really are."
After four years they each have a snapshot of life. They have seen friends come and go, some by choice, others by the hand of God. The clock on their collegiate careers is running - all too fast for my liking - and they don't have any timeouts left. As the days go by, their departure draws nearer. There was always "next year" and now there is no next year.
But today they are up on the game, athletically, socially, culturally and intellectually. And they learned to appreciate the little things - 15 minutes to themselves, a smile, a letter, a compliment. All these things amount to so much after a while. After practice, their jerseys are stained with sweat from desire, from working each day hoping that their efforts will make a difference long after their playing days conclude.
It's only about 30 yards from the front doors of the Robins Center to the practice floor. As for life as a student-athlete, it's a seemingly never-ending trail of 6:30 a.m. practices, sprints, film sessions and drills. The path seemingly grows longer every day and now Contstantakis, Edwards and Greene are nearing the end.
But these days when I open the sports page in the newspaper, I wish I could magically spread Constantakis's competitiveness, Greene's class and Edwards composure to the rest of the athletes around the world. College athletics and professional sports would surely be a much better place. It's hard to observe the individual brilliance of their careers as student-athletes for the past three years and suddenly watch it all end after 40 minutes of game action on Saturday.
In the interim, I hope that their teammates were watching this year. If they were, they learned how to handle success and failure with dignity. They learned that character wins big - both on the hardwood and off of it. They learned that life as a student-athlete is about more than points, assists or rebounds. They learned about people, discipline...and tired muscles. Most importantly, they learned what it meant to make themselves citizens of the program, the University and the world.
The right words escape me here. As I conclude, I don't have any insight or a catchy phrase from the pages of "Life's Little Instruction Book," a poem or a memorable lyric to a song to offer to my three friends who I think so much of. All I can say is, thank you for an unforgettable four years. Your contributions won't soon be forgotten.
We're here if you need us.
by Andrew Blair
Sports Information Assistant
