Philadelphia is one of the world's great and historical cities.   There is the food, the growing nightlife, and the sports.   Philly is a nicknamed "the birthplace of freedom" and remains a symbol of the nation with the Liberty Bell being viewed frequently in Independence Hall.  

Not surprisingly because of the natural diversity of the city, the city has been more willing to accept the woman athlete earlier in times.   There have been several woman athletes from the Philadelphia area who have gone on to star for major leagues, colleges, and win international acclaim.   These athletes changed the game by playing the game regardless of what their peers or others said.  

I can't tell you about every Philly bred athlete but there is enough to demonstrate that it's not a coincidence, the area is bred for success because of our tough shell and hard work ethic.   If you can make it in Philly you can make it anywhere because we test our products the toughest.

Dawn Staley was never an ordinary player.   She couldn't, she had to beat the boys to stay on the court, no easy task or at least you would think.   Staley seemed to have no problem coming out of the North Philadelphia streets to star at Dobbins Tech high school, the University of Virginia, the WNBA and Olympic level.  

At the University of Virginia, Staley led the Cavs to the NCAA tourney three times including a finals appearance versus Pat Summit and the Tennessee Vols.   She's only 5'6 but is known for he excellent playmaking ability and on the ball defense.   This led her to two Broderick awards, two Naismith awards, two WBCA Division I Player of the Year awards and Outstanding Player in the 1991 tourney.  

Staley was fortunate in that she didn't have to go overseas to continue playing the game after her touring with the US national team and winning gold in 1996 The ABL was formed with Staley playing for the Columbus Quest then the Philadelphia Freedom.   The league disbanded in 1998 with the WNBA taking up most of its players.   Staley was taken by the Charlotte Sting and has led them to three playoff appearances and two All-Star game appearances.  

She has also won gold in the 2000 and 2004 games and recently became Temple University's head women's basketball coach leading them to the NCAA tourney in her second season.

Tara Lipinski was the youngest to win an individual gold medal in the Olympics when she won in Nagano in 1998 defeating the favorite American Michele Kwan.   She was fourteen when that happen and she also is the only female skater to successfully defend a Champion Series Final Gold.   She won the U.S. nationals as well.

Beth Anders was born in the area (Norristown) and played to become one of the best players and coaches ever.   A sixteen year veteran of the U.S. national tea m she played on 13 World Cup teams and led the United States to their highest finish ever a bronze medal in the 1980 games.   She had a penchant for penalty corner shot scoring making six shots in seven matches in her final World Cup appearance.  

Anders was selected for two Olympics and played in 100 international games.   She took her passion and knowledge for the game to Old Dominion in 1979 and has won eight national titles as their head coach (up to 1998).

An African American from Philly named Ora Washington was so good she finally retired for fear of scaring younger players away from the game because they were afraid of her.   Born in 1898 and dying in 1971, Washington played in the all-black American Tennis Association won nine singles championships, and seven straight doubles titles.  

Washington also played basketball with the Philadelphia Tribune barnstorming team for eighteen years winning most of them.   Living with racism her whole life didn't make Washington bitter, she lived out her life in the Germantown section of Philly giving free clinics and coaching.

Marian Twining Barone won the bronze medal as a member of the 1948 Olympic team.   She won national titles in 1945 and 1951 in the uneven bars, tied with Clara Schroth in 1945 for the national vault championship and one it herself in 1950.   She also won four national titles in a now extinct track and field event, the basketball free throw.

Elizabeth Becker Pinkston born in Philly on March 6 th 1903 died on April 6 1988, is one of only two women in Olympic history to win gold medals in both the springboard and platform diving (Pat Keller McCormack being the other woman) In 1924 the U.S. national champion won a gold in springboard and silver in the platform diving.   Becker won a national indoor title in 1926 and at the 1928 games Becker Pinkston won the gold medal for the platform event.   She is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Born on Christmas of 1962 in Abington, Mary Ellen Clark who several championships despite dealing with vertigo in 1988,90, and 95.   She won two national titles in the springboard, five national titles in the platform, two bronze medals in the Olympics in '92 and '96 and was two-time U.S. Diving Athlete of the Year, 1993 and 94.  

Her '92 Olympic medal at twenty-nine made her the oldest American woman to win a diving medal.   Her 1996 medal made her the oldest diver to ever medal in the Olympics.

The sports of Canoeing, Kayaking, Sculling and Yachting had a champion in Carol Brown who helped pave the way for women in boating international competition.   Brown was a member of the eight-oared crew who won silver at the 1975 World Championships, America's first in rowing.  

Brown also participated in the 1986 Olympics bronze medal winning team.   In total she has two silver medals at the world championships, a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics and a bronze at the 1979 world championships.

The impact of the Philadelphia area isn't just on the court as players but subsequently off the court, bring their vision to the coaching ranks with tons of success.   Along with Beth Anders who coaches Old Dominion, the Winningest coach in U.S. collegiate field hockey, there are several other women who are holding their own in the coaching ranks.  

Theresa Grentz is the head women's basketball coach at the University of Illinois and has won a gold medal as the head coach of the Goodwill game team along with being a founding member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the second fastest coach to reach 400 victories.  

Carole Kleinfelder is the coach of Harvard (as of 1998) and has led them to twelve conference championships from 1981-1985, 1987-1993, a national championship in 1990 and the distinction of being the Winn ingest collegiate lacrosse coach.

Although not from Philly, Cathy Rush (an Atlantic City native) has made her mark on the Philadelphia scene in Basketball.   Her Immaculata College teams in the early seventies won three straight AIAW national titles 1972-74.   She is a member of the Philadelphia Big Five Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame, and the Delaware County Hall of Fame and is a Color Commentator for a slew of television networks.

Chris Sailer (Abington) is the head coach of Princeton University's Lacrosse team and has won a national title in 1994, won five conference titles, and been runners up twice.   She is a member of the Haverford High School Hall of Fame, and has produced 23 All Americans (as of 1998)

Susan Delaney Scheetz (Wilmington, DE) went to West Chester and is the Lacrosse coach/Assistant Athletic Director at Penn State.   He has led Penn State to two national titles and two runners up.   She is a two-time national coach of the year and is in the Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Karen Shelton is the head field hockey coach at the University of North Carolina and has helped them win four national titles 89,95-97.   She is in the US Field Hockey Hall of Fame, is a graduate of West Chester and is a three time Broderick Award winner, three-time national champion and two-time Olympian herself.             

Tina Sloan Green was the Field Hockey and Lacrosse coach at Temple University and led them to three national titles (AIAW: 1982, NCAA: 1984,1988).   She is a member of West Chester's and Temple's Halls of Fame, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the first black person to coach intercollegiate lacrosse.

Janet Smith is the head coach for the University of Delaware Lacrosse team and has led them to three national titles (Div II, AIAW, 1981,1982, Div I, NCAA, 1983).   She is a member of the Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.

Marianne Stanley is the coach at the University of California, Berkeley and has won three national championships in 1979,80, and 1985, won the gold medal in the 1983,86, and 93 World Championships and has appeared in six final fours (as of 1998)

Cindy Timchal (Upper Darby) is the head coach at the University of Maryland and has led them to six National titles, including five consecutively: 1992,1995-1999.   She has produced 31 All-Americans, Seven Players of the Year, and is the third Winn ingest career coach in U.S. Division I.  

Suzanne Tyler is the Lacrosse/Field Hockey coach/ Athletic Director at the University of Maine and has won two national titles in lacrosse in 1981 and 1986 as well as one in field hockey in 1987.

These women have further proven that women can be exceptional in sports when given the chance and also proven that the Philadelphia area and Philly in particular are important proving grounds for the development of athletics here and throughout the world.   The area produces trendsetters and record breakers and only looks to get better with more opportunity.   

For any correspondence please contact Clayton at clayton@geoclan.com