Hall of Fame
Susan M Gibbons – Class of 1996
A league of their own…
Awkward, slow and uncoordinated are relative terms. In truth, the varsity is a dream to most. And, until recent years, at least half the college-age population was biologically disqualified.
If athletic competition has value; if the lessons of the court and the field are worthwhile metaphors for life, that value should be offered freely. The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the simple joy of meeting a physical challenge is as poignant in an asphalt pick-up game as in the Super Bowl.
The daughter of a legendary coach would understand all that. And she would appreciate things like the value of keeping accurate scorecards; the importance of a comforting word (and a well-timed, sharp critique); the occasional need for a woman to talk to a woman. She would even understand that simply by being there – whether in a sweat-filled van after a discouraging defeat, or in a jubilant post-victory crowd – she could make a difference.
Generations of Le Moyne students, some varsity athletes – most awkward, slow and uncoordinated relative to varsity – have benefitted from such understanding. In an era when athletic opportunities for women were an afterthought at best, she coaxed and cajoled them into existence. And behind the scenes at countless games, matches and events, large and small, intramural and intercollegiate, she tirelessly organizes, keeps score, punches tickets, and worries over endless details.
This gentle soul who hugs one of her cheerleaders after a fall can stand toe-to-toe with the most intimidating figures and hold her own. This dispenser of solace after an error will show no mercy on those whom she sees as wasting talent. Her eyes water when she hears a student has lost a parent; but few can dispense a louder tirade on an official who blows a call in favor of a Le Moyne opponent.
A Cortland Red Dragon who clearly has green and gold blood, she has made herself an integral part of the fabric of life at Le Moyne. Physical education instructor, cheerleading coach, intramural coordinator – the title is not important: she is the champion of the Le Moyne men and women students who enjoy sports, but would never make an intercollegiate team. In an intramural program among the best in the U.S., as well as in club sports, she has made for them a league of their own. And therefore,
Susan M Gibbons is inducted as an honorary member of the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
February 3, 1996
