Don't ask, don't tell

By Yan Digilov     9/4/08 7:00pm

For most Rice students, powderpuff is a unifying display of college dominance and pride, but for female varsity athletes, choosing to play is a decision that has consequences far beyond representing one's college. The game's worst kept secret asks Division-I athletes to choose between participating without the approval of their coaches or missing the chance to take part in one of the most popular aspects of college life. Without knowing how deceptive the title "powderpuff" is at Rice, many freshman athletes join the squad with good intentions.

"We are making an effort to integrate ourselves in our colleges," said one member of the varsity track team who chose to remain anonymous. "People shouldn't be against that."

The people most ardently against it are varsity coaches who have a responsibility to keep their athletes safe. But while their involvement is kept secret, it is widely recognized that many varsity athletes are part of powderpuff squads.

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"It is a lie of omission," junior Richard Solis, Brown powderpuff coach, said. "We don't go around telling coaches because some of the athletes are the best players. Most of us [powderpuff] coaches don't mention it if we don't have to."

While some powderpuff coaches claim to get permission from varsity teams before utilizing scholarship athletes, there is usually some clandestine piece to the story.

"The coaches last year expected me not to play," one member of the swim team said. "It is more or less 'don't ask, don't tell.'"

With little to no communication between varsity players and coaches on the subject, the safety of the powderpuff players lies squarely on their own shoulders and those of their student coaches.

"As a coach and as a friend, we can't put these girls in a situation where they get hurt," sophomore Jeremy Goodreau, a coach at Wiess, said. "I don't want to see any of those girls lose scholarship." Coaches are aware that at times their players have more to worry about than the outcome of the game. They often choose to keep their athletes away from high intensity positions like the offensive or defensive line. However, as history has shown time and time again, no one on the powderpuff field is free from the risk of injury.

Additionally, while the powderpuff coaches try to maintain a lower level of risk for their own players, they cannot control the intensity of the opposing teams. Players on the other side have no way of knowing when to tone down the physical contact around a swimmer or a 130 lb. runner when the identity of the athletes is kept a secret.

Despite the risks, varsity coaches are repeatedly kept out of the loop when it comes to powderpuff. "I am not really sure how they react," an anonymous track athlete said. "I don't think they would approve of it at all."

An athlete's scholarship can easily be revoked if he or she breaks procedure, but since neither powderpuff coaches nor players are asking what that procedure is, it is difficult for them to know if they are actually breaking any rules.

In fact, the procedure followed by the athletics' department has recently changed, creating a hazy area of uncertainty.

"We had a cut and dry rule for years-absolutely, no," women's track coach Jim Bevan said.

As of two years ago, that policy has changed as part of a larger effort to increase athletes' interaction in the college communities. The larger effort to involve athletes in college life started with former Rice president Malcom Gillis who made it a point to get athletes more involved in Beer Bike festivities.

"Athletes need to be more and more involved," Bevan said. "It is important, and it is one of the best things about Rice."

While the athletic department is encouraging players to get involved as bike pushers at Beer Bike or coaches on the intramural teams, many coaches are not ready to risk the health of their athletes.

Now without a clear policy on the subject, the issue remains unspoken among players and coaches, leaving both with little more to do than keep their fingers crossed. Head men's track coach Jon Warren (Jones '88) said he is aware of the possible outcome of such a strategy.

"I was smarter than the coach," he said about his days as a runner. "I did intramural volleyball, and I wrenched my ankle. It could have been a career ending injury."

Bevan noted that such an injury could potentially impact more than just the athletes themselves.

"You may be throwing down two years of recruiting, a finish at the conference meet and possibly a finish at a national meet," he said. "We have invested $40,000 plus all the extra in this athlete, and you are going to say, it is OK to play for whatever college? That is not why they were admitted into Rice."

Many players are unaware that the zero-tolerance policy has been replaced by a case-by-case judgment call. Bevan confirmed that he remains unaware that any of his athletes take part in powderpuff, and players may be taking unnecessary risks in keeping their involvement a secret.

"The more it is out in the open, the better it is," Bevan said. "You want to be able to have a conversation where both parties are being 100 percent honest."

Whatever happens, powderpuff fans can bet on seeing at least a handful of varsity athletes on the powderpuff field this season. They just have to remember: Don't ask, don't tell.

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