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28 CAVALIER CORNER T his year marks the 50th anniversary of Virginia field hockey. As we approach the celebration weekend, Oct. 20-21, alumni excitement will continue to build. All past coaches and alumni associated with the field hockey program will be invited back for an in-game recognition during the Virginia versus North Carolina matchup, as well as a commemorative dinner with a special program featuring coaches and student-athlete alumna. This celebration is the first of many Wahoo women programs that will reach this incredible milestone over the next five years. One proud Virginia field hockey alumna, Sherry Deutsch Ramsay (COL '90), is look- ing forward to reconnecting with many teammates and friends to honor the special 50-year milestone. Ramsay felt very fortunate that her older sister of six years, Barbara, served as a role model and motivated her to play field hockey and later attend UVA. Growing up with a trailblazing big sister who jumped at the opportunities that came on the heels of the passage of Title IX, and the encour- agement of her father, Tom, who was often found on sidelines wearing his "If it sweats and wears a number, I'll watch it" T-shirt, Ramsay was energized by the Philadelphia sports era of the late 1970s and early '80s. Initially inspired by the pluck and enthu- siasm of the spunky Soviet gymnast in the 1972 Olympics, Olga Korbut, Ramsay en- joyed the fun of competing in anything, from gymnastics, basketball, lacrosse and tennis, but ultimately was smitten with field hockey. Her dad was their biggest fan and sup- ported their athletic pursuits, often blaring the theme from the movie "Rocky" and mak- ing them feel as if there were no boundaries or limitations on what they could achieve. Growing up outside Philadelphia, every- thing in their house was a sports analogy. A huge part of their family culture was recognizing the life lessons learned through sports and being a gritty underdog competi- tor, like the Philly sports teams of the day. Ramsay was lucky enough to avail herself of opportunities her big sister didn't have because of the evolution of opportuni- ties that increasingly became available to female athletes. She remembers the thrill of competing in the Keystone State Games (an amateur sports competition for athletes from Pennsylvania), attending U.S. Olympic Developmental camps and even making the Junior Olympic team. These opportuni- ties exposed her to the best coaches in the country, but in the end it was a no-brainer to commit to attend and play for UVA. Virginia had the perfect blend of Divi- sion I competitive athletics and academics, while making it clear that academics and competing with honor came above all else. Although many of Virginia's field hockey players hailed from the Philadelphia area, Ramsay attended a small Catholic high school that competed in a different league. So, when she showed up for preseason camp in August 1986, she didn't know any- one on the team. Three-a-day practices in Charlottesville August heat went a long way to forging bonds with new teammates and even fellow fall athletes, but Ramsay remembers and appreciates the friendship of one particular player when she was a first-year, the iconic Elaine Maddox. As the only first-year to earn a starting position that year, Ramsay appre- ciated the kindness and attention the cap- tain gave her, right down to the nickname Elaine called her one day at practice that teammates still use to this day! Participating in one sport was an anomaly at the time while colleges hoped to gain two- sport commitments from athletes. Most field hockey student-athletes also played women's lacrosse, but Ramsay's small high school did not offer lacrosse at the time, so she elected not to play a second sport in college. Ramsay, who was awarded "Outstanding Greek Varsity Athlete" in 1989 at the IFC/ ISC Greek Awards Ceremony, wanted to explore other activities outside of sports, so every spring she was involved in various activities like working on the yearbook com- mittee, Cavalier Daily and UVA's student-run radio station while also joining the sorority Zeta Tau Alpha where she made even more longtime friendships. She decided to major in rhetoric and communications, which she felt was a true liberal arts major, equipping students with principles of rhetoric to apply to a broad ar- ray of studies. Ramsay fondly remembers her UVA education with iconic professors Bice, Sabato and Elzinga. Professor Ayers was one of her favorites as a compelling Southern his- tory teacher, and she smiles at the memories of her and her dorm-mate's excitement for CONTINUED SUCCESS: FIELD HOCKEY'S SHERRY DEUTSCH RAMSAY Ramsay (left), pictured here with former teammate and longtime UVA women's lacrosse head coach Julie Myers, was the only first-year to earn a starting position for the Cavaliers in 1986. (Photo courtesy Sherry Deutsch Ramsay)