Yale University: Yale Athletics Celebrates 50 Years of Women’s Varsity Athletics
Yale Athletics and the Yale Women’s Athletic Network (YWAN) were proud to host 50 Years of Women’s Varsity Athletics at Yale this past weekend.
All former female student-athletes and their families were invited to campus to celebrate this momentous milestone. The weekend presented opportunities to watch current Yale teams compete, chances to reconnect with old teammates and meet the current student-athletes.
The timing corresponded with the 50th anniversary of the awarding of the first Yale Varsity Y’s to women in 1972-73 and the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Title IX legislation.
Since the first female team at Yale gained varsity status 50 years ago, Yale women have won 75 Ivy League championships and 39 national championships while 27 female athletes also competed as Olympians. Countless others have gone on to become CEOs, engineers, educators, doctors, artists, and mothers.
“Because of these women … the bold dreamers, the determined pioneers, and the resilient trailblazers, this next generation of Yale athletes will be surrounded by brilliant, powerful women who are decision-makers and leaders,” said Ann-Marie Guglieri, Yale’s Executive Deputy Director, and Chief Operating Officer of Athletics. “Most importantly, they will view this as the norm and not the exception.”
The weekend-long celebration featured panels that covered the last 50 years of intercollegiate and professional athletics, offered a real-time perspective from current student-athletes, and previewed the next 50 years.
Alumnae were also honored at Yale field hockey’s game against Columbia and at Yale volleyball’s match against Princeton on Friday, Oct. 14. The trailblazers joined together at midfield and center court to be honored for their many contributions to the campus community and their respective sports.
On Saturday evening, Yale Athletics and the Yale Women’s Athletic Network hosted the culmination event at the Omni Hotel. In her keynote speech, Guglieri quoted former alumna, Andrea DaRif ’73, who wrote a powerful reflection prior to the event, “In coming up against a man’s world, my fellow Yale women and I had refused to take no for an answer.”
“This event was to honor all that these women have accomplished, and to thank them for their refusal of taking no for an answer.” Guglieri concluded.
Over 300 alumnae returned to campus for the weekend celebration and nearly 575 alumnae, coaches, student-athletes, and guests were in attendance for Saturday’s dinner.