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The Daily OrangeA delicate line
As the NCAA reviews its guidelines on pregnant athletes, Syracuse clarifies its policy by putting it in writing
By Zach Schonbrun
Posted: 10/1/07, 11:12 PM EST Section: Sports
The athlete remained in school but also said she voluntarily declined her scholarship from the athletics department. In order to stay at Syracuse, she needed private grants, which she earned.
"I was pregnant my junior year, that summer, but I wasn't playing," she said. "I wasn't playing pregnant. Right away, once I found out I was pregnant, I made the decision to stop playing. So that was kind of like my decision."
A former coach of this athlete declined to comment for this story.
Former Syracuse Director of Athletics Jake Crouthamel did not specifically remember this athlete's case. He did remember a small handful of other athletes who became pregnant while he was AD from 1978-2005. The number, he said, could be counted on two or three fingers.
As far as a policy, though, Crouthamel said there was nothing in writing and nothing specifically about pregnant athletes. He was not entirely sure whether or not every athlete maintained her scholarship.
"I don't think we did (have a policy)," Crouthamel said. "I'm not sure whether we intentionally stayed away from that or just stayed away from it. I do recall that we had a field hockey player who became pregnant, but I'm not even sure what happened there. I don't believe she lost her scholarship, but I'm not sure."
Crouthamel didn't feel the need for a policy because a "one size fits all" wasn't necessarily fair due to the varying conditions under which an athlete becomes pregnant. When asked about how he reacted to Goodwin's case, Crouthamel was not completely surprised about an athlete continuing her participation in sport while pregnant.
"There are degrees of pregnancy," Crouthamel said. "I'm not saying you either are pregnant or you're not; I'm saying you can be pregnant and one month pregnant. There's a heck of a lot of difference between that and six months pregnant."
According to the NCAA's 2007-08 Sports Medicine Handbook, sports with increased incidents of physical contact (including basketball) are considered higher risk after the first trimester because of the potential risk of abdominal trauma.
"I was pregnant my junior year, that summer, but I wasn't playing," she said. "I wasn't playing pregnant. Right away, once I found out I was pregnant, I made the decision to stop playing. So that was kind of like my decision."
A former coach of this athlete declined to comment for this story.
Former Syracuse Director of Athletics Jake Crouthamel did not specifically remember this athlete's case. He did remember a small handful of other athletes who became pregnant while he was AD from 1978-2005. The number, he said, could be counted on two or three fingers.
As far as a policy, though, Crouthamel said there was nothing in writing and nothing specifically about pregnant athletes. He was not entirely sure whether or not every athlete maintained her scholarship.
"I don't think we did (have a policy)," Crouthamel said. "I'm not sure whether we intentionally stayed away from that or just stayed away from it. I do recall that we had a field hockey player who became pregnant, but I'm not even sure what happened there. I don't believe she lost her scholarship, but I'm not sure."
Crouthamel didn't feel the need for a policy because a "one size fits all" wasn't necessarily fair due to the varying conditions under which an athlete becomes pregnant. When asked about how he reacted to Goodwin's case, Crouthamel was not completely surprised about an athlete continuing her participation in sport while pregnant.
"There are degrees of pregnancy," Crouthamel said. "I'm not saying you either are pregnant or you're not; I'm saying you can be pregnant and one month pregnant. There's a heck of a lot of difference between that and six months pregnant."
According to the NCAA's 2007-08 Sports Medicine Handbook, sports with increased incidents of physical contact (including basketball) are considered higher risk after the first trimester because of the potential risk of abdominal trauma.
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