Liberty League:
Mens Tourney
Womens Tourney

Pam Saunders: From Sudent to Teacher
New Mt Holyoke Coach Embraces Her Fresh Role
by Ron Beck, CSA Nov 18, 2004 © 2004
(photos, D Tessier and Trinity College)

Mt. Holyoke (#16 preseason) started off its 2004-05 campaign with a convincing 8-1 win over cross-town rival Smith College (#24 preseason). Mt. Holyoke, a team which looks poised for a strong season, heads into the current season under new coach, Pam Saunders, who takes over for Katie Hawke.

Most of you will know Pam Saunders as one of the solidest of solid players on the Trinity Women's Team that won Two Howe Cup Championships in the last four years.

Saunders took on a new identity as of September first, as she took up her unfamiliar post as head coach of squash at Mt. Holyoke college. It's a rare college athletic director who will take a chance on an unproven college graduate as a varsity coach, but then again Saunders isn't your average college graduate.

For starters, she hails from Zimbabwe, and traveled half the world to attend college in the USA. She is typically modest about her squash beginnings in Zimbabwe. "You know, I played some local squash there, won some tournaments, a few national junior titles and played on the National team."

Then she quietly assumed a leadership role at Trinity, where she was able to become a core of the women's program there, without fanfare, less in the limelight than #1 player Amina Helal or #2 player Siu Lynn Leong, but certainly not ignored by her opponents. She is likely to take the same approach at Mt. Holyoke — litte fanfare but very focused on results.

Pam Saunders, as a player last year at Trinity

"Pam was absolutely terrific for us." says Trinity coach Wendy Bartlett. "A great person, she'll make a great coach."

Saunders gives you the immediate impression that she 'gets it,' that she will do as well as coaching as she did as playing.

"It's an awesome responsibility," she told me recently. "These girls on the Mt. Holyoke team care so much. If anything, they care more than the top teams, the Trinitys do. They have a great attitude and they work so hard to improve themselves and their team.

Mt. Holyoke #1 player, Nusrat Madraswala

"I've learned in a very short time that there is so much to coaching. There's much more involved than I ever dreamed as a player. But it's going to be a lot of fun. Our players are so motivated, and I can really help them improve.

"If your team is up there at one or two, like we were at Trinity, the improvements come in very small increments. Here at Mt. Holyoke, its exciting, we can improve in larger steps. I have a chance to make a real impact and help these girls get better as players and the team perform."

You can't help rooting for Saunders and the Mt. Holyoke 04-05 team to succeed. Here's betting Mt. Holyoke will be planning to rehire "interim coach" Saunders come this spring.