Solo senior organizes club sport

Imagine the IU basketball team or football team without Tom Crean or Bill Lynch. Imagine no head coach to guide a team through its ups and downs.

This is the challenge facing the women’s lacrosse team this year.

Luckily for them, the lone senior on the team has stepped up to fill this void.

Samantha Silverman has taken on the role of both player and coach while juggling the schedule of a full-time student at IU.

As if all of this were not enough to keep Silverman busy, she is also the assistant gymnastics coach at Bloomington High School South. Coaching is something that Silverman is more than prepared to do.

“I am a physical education major, so being a coach works out,” Silverman said. “It’s something that I enjoy doing.”

Silverman is used to having a lot on her plate, dating back to her days as a three-sport athlete in high school.

Silverman’s days have been extra-busy since the fall season concluded at the end of October – the team has been training for their more competitive spring season. She has organized workouts during the week to make sure the squad keeps up with its conditioning and does not miss a beat when the spring season starts Feb. 25.

“In the winter we do a lot of running to keep in shape,” Silverman said. “We usually work out about four times a week.”

Sometimes the team will have its conditioning put to the test when it plays three games in one day, like it will in certain tournaments.

“We’re currently working on trying to keep up in three games without being tired,” Silverman said.

Chemistry is also a key aspect of any team, especially one that is dominated by underclassmen.

“In the fall we worked on getting to know each other,” freshman Leslie Brentlinger said.
This included doing the necessary community service work in the off-season to be able to compete as a club team at IU.

Silverman devoted time over the summer to create an official IU Women’s Lacrosse Web site (www.iuwlax.com). The Web site gives viewers a look inside this year’s group of athletes and how they have fared in past seasons.

Silverman will look to match the success of the team two years ago when it finished 8-1 and won in the playoffs. But before the team can achieve long-term success, it knows it will have to take care of business in its own conference. Silverman is well aware of a little in-state rival that has fueled the Hoosiers for many years.

“Purdue is definitely our main competition,” Silverman said.

IU was able to get the best of Purdue when it faced off in March of 2007, defeating the Boilermakers 7-5.

With a 2-8 record and last season in its rearview mirror, the squad will look to get the season started on the right foot when it plays at Ball State on Feb. 28.