After the recent anniversary of the passing of Title IX and the achievement of her 300th win Coach Connie Richardson talks about how things have changed over the years and the development of her coaching style.
Title IX is an educational amendment made in 1972 to ban sex discrimination in both academics and athletics. Over the years equality among men’s and women’s athletics has greatly improved due to this law.
Coach Richardson has been the head women’s basketball coach at Otterbein for 22 years. Richardson graduated from Heidelberg University in 1986 where she was a member of the women’s basketball team.
Throughout the years Richardson said she has learned things about herself, her players and the game of basketball that she never expected. Although she is the coach, she often acts more like a mother.
“When you go to her office, she always asks you about your personal life first before anything else. She really cares how we are doing,” senior forward, Rachel Snedegar said.
Richardson shared some of her personal and professional experiences from the past 22 years with 1847.
What is your main goal as a coach?
“I think these four years are really the foundation for who the girls are going to become and it’s my job in essence to coach basketball, but it’s also my job to guide them through those four years. There is a lot more going on in these four years of development than just basketball. My hope is that, yeah, we have bad days, there are days they can’t stand me, there are days I want to chuck their heads, it’s a healthy relationship but, my objective is or my desire is, that when they walk away and look back on these four years they will look back and say, ‘that was a great experience’. When I’m done or when a kid leaves, I don’t want to be known as the coach that won 300 games. I want to be known in regards to how our relationship was and how I influenced them.”
Do players’ personalities and their relationship with you carry over to the court?
“That is the fun part of coaching. I compare it to trying to put a puzzle together. You try to mesh each of those personalities along with their talents into a working puzzle and by the end of the season you put your glue on it. Corny, but it’s really what we are trying to do. I tell each of them that I care about them first and foremost as a person, basketball is secondary. My door is open 24/7 and I am very open and honest with them. I think if they see you genuinely care about them, they will play hard and give the program everything they have to give.”
What is your favorite part about your job?
“I really don’t even refer to it as a job, but what I enjoy most about it is that I watch a girl grow from a punky little freshman that thinks she knows everything to a nice classy young lady by the time she graduates.”
Do you have any team traditions or rituals?
“We sing the Otterbein Fight Song after each win, annual Christmas and Halloween parties, complete with costumes. We also participate in the homecoming 5K each year.”
Is it difficult to balance home life and coaching?
“Balance is the key. I think I have gotten better as I have gotten older. Trying to raise a family and coach is not the easiest task. You have to surround yourself with a wonderful, understanding and supportive cast to make it work. It is funny to see my kids call me out when I am being grumpy at home now. It used to be they didn’t care if we won or lost, they just knew mommy was home; now they tell me how bad we played or shot or who did what during the game. Deep down, I am proud of them for embracing what I do and it always brings a smile to my face. My kids have grown up at Otterbein and have always been a part of the Otterbein family. It is one thing I have always appreciated about Otterbein and our staff: they have open arms for my family. I am not sure I could have done it anywhere else and been happy.”
How has collegiate women’s basketball evolved due to Title IX?
“I look at when the OAC did not have women’s basketball until my junior year, which was 1984, and then you can see the steps that have been taken not just in the OAC or the NCAA but even just here at Otterbein. I think the person that got that was Dick Reynolds. He was very adamant as an athletic director that no one program was any better than anybody else, male or female. I was with him for 20 years. Listening to him and watching how he developed this athletic program was cool to see. The progress that was made there was immense and that’s important for the kids no question.”
Do you believe there is still room for improvement in regards to Title IX laws?
“I don’t look at it as ‘men’s’ and ‘women’s’, I look at it as athletics in general. How can we make this better for student athletes? And that’s what it’s about. That’s why we do what we do. And you look at Division III coaches, we don’t get paid a lot of money. A lot of these coaches do it for the love of the game and the love of impacting student athletes, and that’s the big thing in those regards.”
How have you seen your career develop?
“It has taken me time to get to this point. When I was a young coach, I was an idiot. You see yourself evolve as you get older and you can step back and look at what you have done. I was young, dumb and thought I knew everything, and the reality is that I was learning and it’s neat too to see the growth. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m not afraid to admit that I make mistakes. I’m not afraid to listen to the kids. If the kids have suggestions I think that’s important because in the big scheme of things, it’s their program.”
What is your favorite thing about the game?
“Winning, of course!”
