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Anne Daher (Dartmouth '07) |
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Bio
 What was your experience in youth athletics? Were there opportunities available to you?
I was lucky to have a ton of opportunities in athletics as a kid and to have great role models as coaches. As I got older there was a lot of pressure to specialize in one sport, golf in my case, but I never did and I am especially happy, looking back now, that I didn't. I played competitive soccer and golf throughout high school and for me it was a great decision.
How does an Ivy League experience affect your athletics pursuits?
I love being a student athlete at Dartmouth! Though it can be a difficult balance sometimes, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I love that academics always come first and that I still get the opportunity to compete in athletics, which have been a hugely important part of my life for as long as I can remember. I love that I get the opportunity to study abroad and to be defined in college both as a scholar and as an athlete. I am so happy being at Dartmouth and playing golf.
What obstacles still stand to young women who want to participate in athletics?
I think that golf is interesting right now because it is growing so quickly in popularity, especially with girls, every year it becomes much more competitive. In my mind the biggest obstacle for girls in golf is changing the popular mentality that golf is a man's game— but every year it gets better with the infusion of great young talent.
What do you see in the future for women's athletics, will it continue to expand?
I know women's athletics has changed incredibly in recent years, and for that I am thankful. The most important change is the tradition of respect for women's athletics, which I think will continue to grow in years to come. I think it would be impossible for the pace to continue at the same rate, but I think that nationally, women's athletics can only continue to become more competitive and more highly respected.
What has athletics done for young girls that choose to participate?
I don't think I could say enough. For those who choose to participate, it teaches patience, perseverance, a sense of team, confidence for new endeavors, the values of determination, creativity— the list is endless. Every sport, every team, every tournament teaches us more about our abilities and ourselves.
Would you ever consider coaching?
(Laughing) Up until right now I hadn't really considered it. I guess I would consider it, though it hadn't really occurred to me before.
Click here to read the interview with former Dartmouth golfer Sue Bower.
Click here to return to "Then and Now".
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