LETTERS: Many reasons to call it quits

To the Editor: As a four-year member of the women's soccer team, I have seen recruiting classes dwindle, and to sum it up with a generalization that women simply lose interest is horribly inaccurate. There are athletes whose interests do shift; just look at our own Ivy champion football team. One of our star receivers decided to take a leave from the sport because his interests shifted from athletics to religion. But aside from the point that both men and women may shift their interests, there are factors that Malmros ignored completely. Injury is probably the No. 1 reason athletes must retire. Knee ligament tears make up a majority of those injuries. There were two women from my recruiting class alone who were debilitated by knee injuries. Academic pressures are another huge reason people either chose to or are forced to leave their teams. Some athletes find they need to focus on their academics and chose to leave due to the time commitment a Division I team requires. A player/coach relationship can also be the issue. Both male and female athletes have quit their respective teams due to differences with the coaching staff. This is not a Penn-specific problem; I know a number of athletes at Big Ten schools who have quit or transferred because of coaching problems. Lastly, athletes may lose interest due to lack of playing time. An upperclassman may lose playing time to an underclassman and chose to quit rather than sit the bench. This means that Penn is attracting higher-caliber recruits every year, a positive reflection on the coach, team and school. Each athlete has his or her own reasons for leaving. This letter is not meant to fault those who have chosen to retire; it is meant to clarify Malmros' gross generalization that Penn's female athletes just lose interest. Jacquelyn Flood College '99