Some Sports More Mennonite

Photo by David Troyer

Mary Dunn, Sarah Roth, and Ben Yoder (Left to Right) all attended Mennonite high schools. (Central Christian, Lancaster Mennonite, and Christopher Dock, respectively)

The men and women's soccer rosters as well as the field hockey rosters are chalked full of student athletes from Mennonite areas and high schools. Other rosters at EMU have little or no student athletes of the same background. There are many reasons why this phenomenon exists here at EMU.

According to athletic director Dave King, "Mennonite high schools typically don't have football teams, and Mennonite kids in public schools often don't play football so they have become better soccer players. Mennonite colleges have typically had more success in soccer which, I believe, has filtered down to creating more successful high school programs."

Most field hockey players are from Mennonite areas also. Field hockey is a popular sport in Pa. and because there are no area high schools with field hockey, EMU needs to recruit field hockey players from that area. There are other areas that offer field hockey, but the distance creates recruiting problems. It is a natural fit that the Mennonite high schools in Pa. have field hockey programs and it also helps that these high schools are traditionally successful in this sport.

The lack of Mennonites in other team athletics can be attributed to a variety of factors. Women's basketball coach Kevin Griffin said, "In basketball, there are not a lot of Mennonite athletes who can compete at the collegiate level."

King noted another reason, "with most Mennonite high schools, communities and churches at a considerable distance from EMU, cost is a big deterrent in giving the kind of special attention all kids and parents seem to want from the head coach."

With these two factors, it is a waste of recruiting money for coaches to go to Mennonite high schools when only one or two kids might be able to play at the NCAA Division III level. Coaches look elsewhere for talent because recruiting is cheaper and they can recruit more students. This doesn't mean coaches recruit just anybody. Griffin commented, "I want character kids, [that is what I focus on in recruiting], if they are Mennonite or not Mennonite is not the primary concern. We need character kids who can play."

Men's tennis coach Harlan deBrun said that he looks for student athletes who are talented but more importantly will fit into the EMU community.

King also noted that it is getting harder to recruit Mennonite athletes. He said, "It is sad that we are not getting more support from parents, alumni and churches in promoting Mennonite colleges to their young people. More Mennonite families are sacrificing the Christian college experience for the image, prestige and money of playing at Division I and II, as well as secular colleges."

Lastly King noted that if less than 50 percent of the actual students that attend EMU are not Mennonite, than we should not expect to fill the athletic rosters with that many Mennonites.