Empire 8 Pioneers: Rhonda Faunce, Elmira College

Rhonda Faunce - Empire 8 Pioneer
 

Year at Current Institution/Total in College Athletics: 35th year at Elmira/36th overall
 
College Attended/Class Year: Ithaca College ’85 BS ’87 MS
 
Playing Career:
4-year member of the volleyball team at Ithaca
1-year member of the softball team at Ithaca
 
Favorite Professional Athlete/ Team:
Peyton Manning/Duke Basketball

Favorite Movie: Cinderella
 
Last TV Show You Binge Watched: Uncoupled
 
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla

What Do You Enjoy Doing When Away From College Athletics? Outdoor activities such boating, taking care of my lawn. Spending time with my friends and family (pups).
 
Favorite Vacation Spot: Key West, Florida
 
Greatest Mentor: Mary Milcetic, who was my volleyball coach at Carthage Central High School. I wanted to be like her, as she was a great role model for women in the early 1980s. I knew I wanted to be a coach once having her as one. She had a natural way of leading us all and was the first coach I had that was able to treat each athlete based on what they needed.

Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time as a Player in College: Representing my college and the competition. I was very proud to wear an Ithaca uniform
 
Favorite Athletic Memory as a Coach: The feeling of winning a championship (Elmira won the Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Championship in 2000). It happens so few times for most coaches and athletes that when you finally do, you know it was all worth it.
 
Most Rewarding Aspect of Being a Coach/Administrator: The relationship with the athletes. My family used to joke that I played games for a living. Yup! Who knew you could make a living playing games? It's the most rewarding and best job in the world.
 
What Have You Learned About Yourself as a Leader and In Your Role: Being a leader is hard and gets harder every day. I have learned the things I thought were scary really are not; you just need to go through it once and everything will be okay. In time, everything works out. I like all kinds of personalities. Different perspectives can be great.
 
How Does The Empire 8 Stand Out Among Other Conferences? The Empire 8 set a standard for others to want to be like. It came out of the gate as a dominant conference that others wanted to be in.

How Did Title IX Played a Role For You as a Student-Athlete? Title IX gave me opportunities that I did not have before. It helped allow me to be involved with sports at a higher level. When I was in college the only thing I thought I could be was a physical education teacher if I wanted to coach. I learned from the dominant/progressive women at Ithaca that coaching could be a career without teaching. It changed my life.
 
How Has Title IX Impacted You After Your Collegiate Career? Title IX gave me opportunities that I did not have before. There are more sports, more jobs and more women in the positions if they want to be. It’s not about replacing men with women, but it’s about that a women can be in this job or any job if they want to be.

Elmira is holding its Hall of Fame event on Oct. 1 and the 1999 women’s 1999 volleyball team is being inducted. Almost all of the women from that team work in education, as either teachers, counselors, athletic directors or coaches.

Title IX’s impact can be seen in two ways. First, that these women have continued to take their experiences and pass it on in the jobs they loved. Second, avenues for women have changed. More women are now CEO, CFO’s and own their own businesses, which has been another tremendous plus.
 
What Do You Think Is the Greatest Impact of Title IX/How Has it Changed Your Life?
When I was young, there were no youth sports for girls. I wanted badly to play sports and could not. Imagine that. There were no opportunities. Now girls have hundreds of opportunities to play whatever sport they want. There also was a stigma that if a little girl played sports something must be wrong with her. It truly was not that complex; they just loved play like all kids should. It has changed my life. I appreciate where I live and the work I do and how fortunate we are.
 
How Has Title IX Changed the Collegiate Sports World? Opportunity is really the best word for Title IX. I know it took some things away from some individuals but it leveled the playing field. Equal opportunity is the message.

What Can Be Done to Continue the Growth of Women’s Sports? I can’t see it stopping. It takes brave people to keep pushing forward. Be brave! Let’s have it all. Be willing to try everything once! Who knows, maybe brussel sprouts are good!

Advice for Aspiring Student-Athletes (Youth/High School and Incoming Collegians):
Show up and work hard. Don’t expect just to be handed things just because you are there. You have to work for the things you get. Unfortunately, some people will always be better than you at certain things and that is okay. Find what your thing is and love working hard to be great at it.
 
Advice for Graduating Student-Athletes: Be responsible and respectful but have it all and do it all. I know it sounds cliché but time goes by really fast, so don’t miss out on any of those opportunity that have been provided to you.

The Empire 8 Pioneers series celebrates 50 years of Title IX and highlights the growth of women's sports, while featuring a standout women's coach of administrator from each of the league's 10 institutions.

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.
 
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