Maria Bell, M.D., is a gynecological oncologist at Sanford Health, who is in the Augustana University Hall of Fame for her skill as a tennis player.
The Title IX legislation, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer, revolutionized sports in the United States for girls and women. About 10 years after it began to make its mark on our culture, Dr. Bell made his mark in athletics as a pre-med college student in Augustana in the early 1980s.
Tennis and surgery
Dr. Bell can talk in general about the great life lessons she has learned in the process of becoming a good college tennis player. She can also become quite specific about how her ability to compete at a high level has made her better at what she is doing now.
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“It really helped me develop self-confidence,” said Dr. Bell, who grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. “Tennis is an individual sport, so the buck stops here, right? Developing that mentality plays a good part in being a doctor and especially a surgeon.”
Surgeons and tennis players are both familiar with tense situations. Although the stakes are much higher at the hospital than it is at the tennis court, there are still similarities that have helped Dr. Bell, as she progressed in her profession.
“In tennis, I learned breathing techniques that I still use,” she said. “When you’re in a clutch situation, you know, like a tie-breaker, it’s about calming your mind. You learn to focus and calm your nerves. These are the same techniques that I use when it gets a little scary in the operating room. ”
Basketball ambassadors
Jayne Gust is Sanford Health’s director of community relations in Fargo, North Dakota, the region who was one of the greatest basketball players ever at O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls. To see also : Fisher-Price Plastic Food Gives Children Unrealistic Expectations That There Will Be Enough Food. She repeated the “greatest ever” accomplishments in North Dakota State, where the list of national awards she received fills sections of her Bison Athletic Hall of Fame biography.
She is also married mother of four children and can be seen on the sidelines at her children’s sporting events almost at night.
The Bison were national title contenders during her time at NDSU, which attracted a level of fan interest in Fargo that was characteristic of the world of women’s college basketball at the time. The loyal following represented a great victory for those who worked to make Title IX a reality.
“When you go through such experiences, I always tell people that it’s like an elevated leadership position,” Gust said. “It’s kind of like a job. As basketball players, we had the opportunity to volunteer and become ambassadors for our program because we had coaches who believed in it. People knew us, and they still do. I want to be in the grocery store now and someone will come up to me and say ‘Hey, what about those bison?’ I love it.”
As Director of Community Relations, Gust seeks out ways in which Sanford can help nonprofits strengthen the health, social, and economic well-being of those living in the region. That effort can be part of a long-term commitment or an event with daily responsibilities. Either way, it’s always going to come down to a few basic things that Gust can relate to a previous commitment to basketball.
“With every job, there are times when you ask yourself: Are you resigning, or are you continuing?” said Gust. “What am I willing to put into this? That’s what we need to do in the world of work. It can be challenging. At Sanford, we have a very robust organization. There is constant change.”
Supporting youth sports
Gust can draw on his experience as an athlete by invoking perseverance to do his job well. On the same subject : The decision Roe v. Wade has concerned mental health professionals. This background also plays into appreciating and working to maintain Sanford’s role in providing opportunities for young athletes.
As the nation enters its second half century with Title IX principles as part of its culture, there will continue to be ways to improve the sports environment.
“I’m very proud of Sanford’s support for children,” Gust said. “Many see our greater contribution at the collegial level, which we obviously have because of the business we are in with sports medicine and orthopedics. But in addition, we have invested in youth athletics. ”
Although not based on gender to the extent it would have been 50 years ago, accessibility to sport remains a cultural challenge. Opportunities for Gust and others will continue to present themselves.
“We believe that all children should have a chance to play,” she said. “If it involves giving a scholarship so a child can get a pool pass, girl or boy, that’s great. There should be no barrier to why children get involved. I’m so grateful that we work for an organization. , where I get some of these conversations to make sure we’re out there doing the right thing for our communities. “
In the late 1970s, when Dr. Bell decided where she wanted to go to college, her options were limited by her family’s ability to pay for it. Interest rates were eerily high at the time, so it was impractical, if not impossible, to get a large university loan.
“If I were to leave Aberdeen in school, I would have to get a scholarship,” said Dr. Bell. “So tennis did. It gave me the opportunity to get a great education that I might not otherwise have been able to get.”
‘Go for it’
Dr. Bell’s youth on the tennis courts were filled with stories that had a kind of pre-Title IX vibe. She was very competitive at a time when this trait was not met with universal acceptance – especially by the boys who lost to her. Her father would joke years later, she should have lost more often.
It wasn’t just tennis either. In medical school, she started playing rackets and quickly became good enough to participate in a men’s tournament. While sitting in the women’s locker room, she could hear the conversations from the players in the men’s locker room. It turned out that they were not big fans.
“It was like ‘OK, you have to hit her,’ and then they talked about the kind of shots they thought they had to hit to do it,” Dr. Bell. “Every time I hit someone, I went back to the women’s locker room and heard the same thing. They were making strategies on how to hit me.”
When a child did not show up for the pick-up fights in the driveway of Gust’s home when she was growing up, she got a nod to play against the boys.
“Eventually, they realized I could compete with some,” Gust said. “I think it’s important as a parent to make sure children know they’re not limited. My husband and I strongly encourage attitude and effort, because no matter where you come from – no matter what gender you are or what level of talent you have. “You are – you should show up and do your best. Especially for girls, they need to know that they can compete against the boys if they want to. When you get your chance, write your name there and go for it.”
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