Track team has Hart - community presence unsurpassed
April 11, 2003
 Head track coach Sherman Hart and his athletes are intertwined with the local community while maintaining athletic excellence. |
Since he became the NU Athletic Director in August, Dave O'Brien has touted what he calls the "three C's" as a method to continued prosperity in the athletic department - Classroom Success, Community Involvement and Competitive Excellence. The Northeastern women's and men's track team is a great example of a group executing the three C's and thriving in all areas.
On the track, the women's team recently had its best season in the history of the program and head coach Sherman Hart was named NCAA Div. I Northeast Coach of the Year. The men's team has been a contender for the past several years. In the classroom, 39 members of the women's team and 25 members of the men's team have posted grade-point averages above 3.0 since the fall of 2001. While other teams might have similar competitive results, the team's involvement in the community is unmatched by any program.
"I'm community oriented," said Hart, who keeps his athletes involved in an immense amount of volunteer work. "I've always been involved in the community. It's our way of giving back."
Hart became involved in the community when he was an undergraduate at Northeastern and was a member of the varsity football team. During Hart's time as a student at NU in the early 1970s, work-study positions were available off campus. He worked part-time at the Cooper Community Center in Roxbury, where he founded the Boston International Track Club as a way for local youths to get involved in athletics.
"It was originally called the Cooper Track Club but when we went down to a national meet, everyone had names like the Indiana Track Club. Nobody knew where we were from and people thought I was Mr. Cooper so we changed it to the Boston International Track Club so we could have some identity," said Hart.
Today, the club has about 50 youth members and 25 adult members. Assistant coaches Dion Gardner and Anya Forrest compete for the team. Besides the impact on the community, Northeastern has coincidentally benefited from its involvement the track club.
"We've had some athletes come up through Boston International like Jordine Kimbrel, Theresa Williams, Teresa Brown and Jackie Smith," said Hart. "Jackie Smith said the first time she ever touched a track was with me." Kimbrel is a freshman on this year's team, while the other three have finished their careers at NU. All four athletes currently hold Northeastern women's track records.
And the list goes on. In February, while local schools were on winter break, the women's and men's teams hosted a track and field clinic for local youths at the Solomon Indoor Track in the Cabot Center. Before the track athletes went home for Christmas break, they hosted the Department of Social Services Christmas Party for children in foster homes at the Reggie Lewis Center. In November, the team volunteered at the annual Turkey Giveaway sponsored by the Boston Celtics at the Reggie Lewis Center. The Turkey Giveaway was held for several years at Matthews Arena and run by the Reggie Lewis Foundation.
Beyond the aforementioned events, Hart and his athletes are involved in the Mayor's Cup Track Meet, an annual event for children of Boston Housing Developments held at White Stadium in Dorchester. A similar event, the Boston Housing Authority Jamboree, which is held each year for children in housing developments across the state, was held in Fall River last year and Husky athletes were involved. Several student-athletes participate in the Serv-a-thon each year, an event held by City Year, Boston's nationally recognized volunteer program. They spoke to children in local schools and helped clear sidewalks, paint schools, and renovate playgrounds.
Current team members Ryan Cahill and Greg Lutz, along with others, donate their time to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America with local youths. Former team members Theresa Williams, Joe Foley and Phil Tiller were also involved and Foley even coached a local little league team.
Next on the Huskies' agenda is "Women's Week" over April vacation when the Huskies will organize and host a morning-long track and field clinic at the Reggie Lewis Center. When the Huskies are finished, tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams will be hosting a clinic for the youths.
With all these community activities, as well as participating in a high-level athletic program, Hart knows he must keep the athletes' priorities in the classroom first. He said the staff recruits athletes not only based on talent, but also on who will fit into the overall program at Northeastern.
"Academics, personality, and talent, in that order," said Hart of his recruiting criteria. "The bottom line is that's why you're here. Being an alum I know how hard it is to get through it. So the bottom line is that you're here to be a student first."
And on the track, Hart's Huskies are never lacking success. During the 2002-03 indoor season, the women's team collected America East and New England titles on their way to a runner-up finish at the ECAC Championship, the best in NU history. Hart's men's team has won three of the past four America East indoor titles and has won two America East outdoor titles in a row. They won the New England Championship last spring.
"I like being on top of everything," said Hart. "I like being the best on the track and the best off the track. That's important."
