Cool School: Making Every Inch Count

By Dimity McDowell

Did the volleyball team at your high school make it to the state finals last year? Is there a tennis player at your college who could be the next Chris Evert? Use the form below to tell us what's cool about your school. Also, read Dimity McDowell's report on student-athletes who bring new meaning to the word "cramming".

Oakland Catholic High School
Location: Pittsburgh
Enrollment: 477 girls, ninth to 12th grades

It's late afternoon at Oakland Catholic High in Pittsburgh, and approximately two dozen students are sprinting through the hallways. They aren't late for their classes—they're at track practice.

Gary Tramontina

Space is so tight at this all-girls school that teams train everywhere. On this typical winter day, while the halls are filled with sprinters and hurdlers, the basketball team is getting amped for the state playoffs in the gym, the only true athletic facility in the building. (The Eagles, coached by Suzie McConnell Serio of the WNBA's Cleveland Rockers, went on to place second in the Class AAAA state championships.) The fencing team is practicing on a stage directly behind the hoopsters. "Meets are noisy, so this prepares us well,'' says junior Kelly Collins, western Pennsylvania's top high school foil fencer. The crew team, barely 10 feet away, is in the middle of an intense weight- and rowing-machine circuit in a tiny weight room crammed with everything from a home gym to milk-jug weights. Next door, in the freshmen building, the varsity softball team fields grounders in an auditorium, while the jayvee practices outside on Oakland Catholic's one patch of grass. Distance runners are racking up mileage on nearby roads and, down the street at the University of Pittsburgh pool, the swim team is clinching second place in the state Class AA championships. And did we mention that the lacrosse team is practicing on a city-owned field nearby?

The lack of facilities at Oakland Catholic does not discourage athletic participation or success. This urban school is home to 240 athletes, 13 teams and one locker room, which is reserved for visiting teams. (The home team changes in the athletic director's office and spends halftime in a classroom.) The Eagles don't mind competing against mostly wealthier suburban schools, where deluxe field houses are standard. "We play off the fact that other schools are better equipped,'' says track coach George Rudolph. "I just tell them that when the gun goes off, we're all equal.''

The athletes embrace the can-do attitude; each new sport is student-generated and organized. And yes, despite the tight quarters, the sport count is growing. Bowling was added three years ago, and a golf team started up in 1999.

More green space would be welcome. "We'd love to have our own field to practice on,'' admits senior Becka Frey-vogel, one of the founders of the four-year-old la-crosse team. "Meanwhile, we'll just keep shooting for the back of the net."

Use the form below tell us in 50 words or less what's cool about your school. Be sure to fill out all the information so we can contact you if we want to put your response in a future issue of Sports Illustrated For Women.

 
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