Laurie Lopes spent her days at Dartmouth as a two-sport athlete, winning an Ivy Title with the women's baskeball team in 1985-86. She played three seasons for the Big Green before suffering an injury that shortened her career. Beforehand, she was also a two-time All-Ivy indoor/outdoor track athlete and holds the school record for the indoor 55-meter dast at 7.16 seconds. The East Providence, R.I., native received her B.A. in Sociology and went on to earn her MBA in Marketing from Indiana University. Lopes came back to the Dartmouth in 1993 to handle unfinished business, as an assistant coach of the women's basketball team. Before her departure in 2000, she helped lead the Big Green to four Ivy Championships and three NCAA tourney appearances. Here's how she got to this point...

Q: What led or motivated you to play sports?

A: As a child, I would attend my brothers' football games and track meets. Instead of watching them compete, I would play football on the sidelines with the other kids or participate in relay races. I quickly realized that I enjoyed the competition. Eventually, I focused my efforts on basketball and track.

Q: What adversity did you encounter, if any at your school to play your sport(s)?

A: I was fortunate. I entered Dartmouth College in the fall of 1983. The college had established programs in women's track and basketball. Our team budgets were modest, but we had the opportunity to travel for Spring Training and Christmas Tournaments, which was a big deal.

Q: What pressures, if any, were you feeling during that time?

A: I was very aware of what an honor it was to attend an Ivy League institution, as well as to be able to compete on an athletic team. I wanted to do well for myself and for my parents who did not have the opportunity to attend college. They always stressed the importance of a good education and made many sacrifices to ensure that my siblings and I were well educated.

Q: When did you realize the importance of what you were a part of, being in the Title IX era?

A: During my years playing basketball at Dartmouth, I experienced many positive changes in the program that were a direct result of Title IX. Our home pre-game meals, which once were held in the school cafeteria, were moved to local restaurants. Our team travel and recruiting budgets increased, and with it came better accommodations on the road (two to a room instead of three), an expanded game schedule, and the ability of our coaches to recruit top student-athletes. By the time I was a senior, the coaching staff included three full-time coaches putting our program in line with the men's. These changes, along with the educational opportunities available to women, helped Dartmouth to become one of the premier Women's Basketball programs in the Northeast.

Q: What was the most memorable experience for you?

A: My most memorable athletic experience was in March of 2000. The Dartmouth Women's basketball team competed against Purdue University, the Defending National Champions, in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament. I was an Assistant coach at the time, and I will never forgot watching the Purdue University crowd giving my players a standing ovation after a four-point loss. I thought it was the greatest honor that they could have bestowed upon a team that played such a heroic game.

Q: In your opinion, what was the most gratifying moment in women's sports in general?

A: Watching the U.S. Women's National Soccer team beat China in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Title game. At the time, I was an Assistant Women's Basketball coach at Dartmouth. I was in Chicago recruiting at a basketball tournament while the World Cup game was being played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. There was a TV in the lobby of the gym that was tuned to the game. When the U.S. team and China began the penalty kicks, the entire crowd in the gym, with the exception of the teams competing, raced into the lobby to watch the U.S. National Team win the World Cup. It was amazing to see men, women and children uniting over a single event which epitomized the surge in women's athletics. It was historic.

Q: Even with sports like women's pro becoming so popular in America, women's sports still do not garner the same attention as men's sports. Aside from the lack of media coverage, what responsibility should athletes and women in general have to the growth of women's sports in America?

A: I do believe that women have a responsibility to help support the growth of women's sports. There are several ways to get involved such as supporting organizations like the Women's Sports Foundation, donating funds to college athletic programs, volunteering to coach youth programs and supporting women's athletics in general.

Q: What is your hope for the future of women's sports?

A: My hope is that women's athletics receives the media coverage (TV, Print, Radio) and attention necessary to help further the growth and participation in sports. The success of such teams as the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, the U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey and Softball teams, along with the interest in the WNBA, has been instrumental in increasing the participation in and appreciation for women's sports. Hopefully, this is only the beginning.