50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at Binghamton University
Profile: Alicia Goode, staff member, administrator, 1991-present
Brief: A native of New Haven, Conn. and State College, Pa., Alicia was a gymnast at the University of Massachusetts, helping that team win a national championship during her freshman year. She graduated with a degree in physical education in 1976 and went on to earn her master's degree in exercise science and biomechanics from Slippery Rock University (Pa.) in 1978.
She began her professional career as a professor and women's gymnastics coach at the United States Air Force Academy for six years and then spent nine years at Cornell University as head coach of women's gymnastics.
In 1993, Goode transitioned into the administrative side of athletics with her appointment at Binghamton. She served as the Assistant Athletics Director and NCAA Compliance Coordinator during the University's historic transition from NCAA Division III to Division I. She is currently the Assistant Athletics Director for Student Services and is in the midst of her 26th year on campus, making her one of the longest-tenured staff members in the department.
Still active in the sport of gymnastics, Alicia is a nationally certified Women’s Gymnastics Judge and officiates at meets ranging from youth to the collegiate ranks. She shares that her proudest moments in judging were when she served as an official at the NCAA National Championships in both 2014 and 2015.
Catching up with Goode ...
What was your athletics experience like growing up and who were your role models?
As an athlete who grew up in the Pre-Title IX world, I had a wide range of experiences. I was raised in a family of four girls and one boy. My brother played organized sports before I did, although my sisters and I all had formal ice skating training as children. But we spent hours outdoors participating in our own brand of athletics. Our yard served as the whiffle ball field for years and the vacant lot across from our new house was the gathering space for all after-supper games. I loved the pick-up games that we played there. I do recall an evening when my mother questioned my participation in these games as the only girl with all of the neighborhood boys. I found nothing unusual about being the only girl. I played baseball as well as they did. That was all that I thought should matter! I was in Jr. High School when I saw a sign on the wall advertising the girl’s gymnastics team. I thought that sounded pretty good, so I asked my parents if I could attend the first practice. I arrived in a t-shirt and shorts only to realize that all of the other girls were wearing leotards. Boy, did I have a lot to learn about that sport! I participated on the Field Hockey team as the only sophomore who had ever played on the varsity team. I ran track and did field events. I held several school records in the hurdles and high jump. I did gymnastics and participated in many regional and state events. I participated in cheerleading and as a majorette. My school had many opportunities for girls, so it did not occur to me that there were places where this did not happen. I had always been able to pursue my interest in athletics. On one occasion in high school at a track meet, the boys from the opposing school kept asking why there were girls on the track. They did not have a girl’s track team at their school and were both perplexed and in awe of the fact that we did. I again found nothing unusual about girls participating in athletics. It was a part of who I was and who I had always been.
Before Title IX transformed the athletics landscape, the coaches for the girl’s teams were women. They were my role models. They were the people I saw daily as they participated and coached the girl’s team at my schools. I grew up with the model of having a woman in charge of all of my athletics teams. I believe that the statistics show that prior to Title IX, well above 90% of the coaches of women’s teams were women. That number is now near 50%. I believe strongly in the importance of girls and women having female coaches and seeing women in those positions of authority. Those female coaches can serve as early female role models.
Can you share the athletics environment for women that existed when you were at both Air Force and Cornell?
I was hired out of graduate school to be the gymnastics coach at the Air Force Academy. This was at the time that women were integrating into the armed forces and the military academies. It was both a fascinating and frustrating time to be involved in women’s athletics! While there may have been resistance to the integration, the Air Force
Academy fielded women’s athletics teams right from the beginning. It was both challenging and rewarding to help shape that program. As a civilian working in the military setting, I had a unique experience of interacting with the military and athletics cultures there. When the NCAA started sponsoring women’s championships in the early 1980’s, the Air Force appointed a male as the first Primary Women’s Administrator, (the precursor to the Senior Woman Administrator).
The NCAA rejected that selection and told them they had to appoint a woman. And so began my entry into the administrative governance of intercollegiate athletics. I represented the Academy at national conventions and cast ballots on legislation as the PWA. At Cornell, the Ivies were in the midst of expanding women’s athletics. Cornell was allocating additional resources for staff and facilities for several of the women’s sports, gymnastics being one of them. We were able to expand the coaching staff and upgrade equipment and matting in addition to expanding recruitment and competition travel. There was a new facility being built on campus and we eventually held our bigger competitions at that venue. It was during this time that I continued to participate in the governance structure of the ECAC and the regional and national governing boards for women’s gymnastics. It proved to be a fertile training ground for future participation in governance and committee work.
When you arrived at Binghamton, what were your initial impressions about women's athletics and the treatment of our student-athletes?
My impression was that Binghamton was making genuine, successful attempts at providing access in women’s athletics and complying with Title IX legislation. At the time, we were a Division III institution with a full complement of women’s sports offerings. But the groundwork was being laid for the eventual move to Division I. There would be a change in philosophy and approach over the subsequent years that saw the transition of our athletics program to the Division I model. I was the NCAA compliance officer at the time of the divisional moves. This provided an outstanding opportunity for me to stretch in ways that I had not previously. We worked to install policies and procedures that had not been in existence during our Division III years. Collaborations and relationships were built between athletics and many different entities within the university. It was satisfying to see the hard work come to fruition when we were accepted into Division I and embarked on our journey at this new echelon.
Can you share any thoughts about your building relationships with athletes from your various roles in compliance and academics during the last 26 years? What source of pride do you have in your contributions during such a long period of time?
I take particular pride in being the “behind the scenes” architect of the university systems that needed to be put into place. I worked with institutional research for NCAA and governmental reporting, financial aid for athletics scholarships, the conference office for NLI, student accounts for posting of awards, the registrar for academic and eligibility certification, computer programmers for writing the programs to monitor all aspects of compliance, the Dean’s Council for up-to-date interpretation of university policy as it related to athletics participation, as well as countless other offices on campus. It was work in uncharted territory! As we entered the era of implementation of Division I policies and procedures, I returned to direct daily contact with student-athletes. I have worked in Student-Athlete Student Services for many years now. I have assisted students in a wide range of activities starting with on-campus recruiting visits, through orientation, class selection, major selection, study skills, test taking strategies, resume writing,
cover letter writing, grad school application and many other activities through graduation and beyond. While many students met with me as a mandatory freshman activity, it was gratifying to have upper level students continue to return to seek input for their continued success. It is particularly gratifying to have upper level students or graduates reach out to tell you that they appreciated the assistance that they received along the way. I also take particular pride in teaching and educating students to be good problem solvers!
During my time as a collegiate student-athlete, I did not have the luxury of athletics academic advising. We were self-sufficient. During my coaching years, there was limited access to athletics student services support. It wasn’t until my arrival at Binghamton that there was a budding system of support that has burgeoned into an entire staff of professionals to serve the student-athlete population as they strive for academic success while managing their commitment to Division I athletics.
As you reflect back ... what remain your fondest memories and proudest moments of being a staff member at Binghamton?
My proudest moments were completing the years-long process of implementing university systems that allowed us to progress from Division III to Division I. But my fondest memories are of the staff and students with whom I have interacted over the years. I treasured the hand written notes that students gave to me to express their gratitude. I prized the friendships that developed through the workplace. I appreciated the camaraderie around the shared vision of excellence both in the classroom and on the field of play. I respected the bright minds of the entering students and marveled at the unique individuals they became during their tenure here at Binghamton.
Anything else you want to share about the 50th celebration?
I am delighted that Binghamton is recognizing, honoring and celebrating 50 years of women’s athletics at Binghamton. I am humbled and proud to be included in the group of women who are speaking on their experiences as part of that 50-year journey.
