50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at Binghamton University
Profile: Melissa Cohen '90, soccer, softball and basketball player
Brief: A native of Lynbrook, N.Y., Melissa Cohen was a three-sport athlete at Binghamton who played soccer, softball and basketball. A two-time all-region goalkeeper, Cohen helped lay the groundwork for a fledgling women's soccer program as a three-time captain and perennial all-star. She also was a two-time all-conference softball catcher and BU Athlete of the Year before graduating in 1990 with a degree in political science. After graduation, she played semi-pro soccer and at the same time, worked as a currency trader at investment banks on Wall Street for 14 years. After that, she changed professions and became a high school social studies teacher. Melissa has now been a teacher in the South Bronx for 14 years.
Accomplishments on Cohen's Hall of Fame plaque
A woman for all seasons, Cohen was a two-time All-SUNYAC softball catcher in the spring and a member of the basketball team in the winter, but it was on the soccer field in the fall where she excelled. Joining a varsity program that was just one-year old, Cohen quickly steered the Colonials along the path of success as the team's starting goalkeeper for four years. A three-time captain, Cohen earned regional All-America honors in 1987 and 1989 - becoming the program's first two-time honoree. A four-time All-SUNYAC player, Cohen was named East Division "Player of the Year" as a senior, and also garnered All-New York State accolades following the 1989 season. Over her final two seasons, Cohen led the Colonials to 20 victories with post-season invitations each year. She holds seven school records, including lowest career goals against average (0.88). After her senior year, Cohen was named Binghamton's "Athlete of the Year," and received the Foundation, Senior Merit and ECAC Merit Awards. A model student-athlete, Cohen was named the SUNYAC "Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year" in 1989 and also was an Academic All-American that same year.
Catching up with Cohen ...
What was your high school sports background and what factors led to you coming to school at Binghamton?
I played soccer, basketball, and softball in high school as well as playing in a few outside leagues in each sport. My college choices were pretty much SUNYs because of finances, so it was really a choice between Albany and Binghamton. When I visited both campuses, I looked at Albany and saw mostly cement. I looked at Binghamton and saw pretty trees. So I guess I came to Binghamton for the trees.
What was your perception of the climate on campus, in terms of opportunities, facilities and overall treatment of women's athletics while you were here?
When I came to Binghamton, I believe it was the 2nd year that soccer was a varsity sport. My career started with the women who fought to make women's soccer a varsity program and ended with the women who would go on to play Division II and Division I soccer. The women who started the program always came back to visit and were extremely supportive of our team - they were always proud of our successes and glad that they were a part of that success. I'm happy that I got to play in those early varsity years - I truly enjoyed playing Division III and enjoyed being on the team during those "building up" years of the women's soccer program. I also enjoyed meeting older women, like Jessie Godfrey, who were supportive of women's sports before Title IX and had been fighting for years for women's sports to be on an equal footing with men's sports. It's women like her to which myself and my teammates owe a great debt. I remember walking and talking with Jessie and her telling me about those days - those are the conversations that I now look back at and realize how lucky I was to be able to speak with such a great lady. I am constantly amazed at what the women's soccer team has turned into now - it makes me proud to have been a part of providing the roots to a tree that has clearly grown beyond what we could have ever imagined.
Back when I played, not many people came to our games, whether it was soccer, basketball, or softball. During this time, basketball and softball were both played at the East Gym (the old "Women's Gym" as Jessie used to tell me it was called) and back then, no one ever went to the East Gym. It was most definitely not the athletic center that it has turned into today. When I was playing, I always thought the facilities were good, although I didn't really know any better. It seemed normal to take vans to games instead of buses and I actually enjoyed talking with everyone during those trips (we had no cell phones so we needed to talk with one another. :) During basketball games, we always sat on wooden benches (I have the splinters to prove it) and never had enough basketball uniforms that fit. When I look at the facilities and uniforms and everything else, my experience was clearly a far cry from what exists today - which is a wonderful turn of events.
As far as the relationship between athletics and academics back then, most of my professors were not so forgiving of students who missed classes for sporting events - that generally wasn't a good enough excuse to miss a class. Therefore, I made sure I took almost all of my classes before noon so that my sports wouldn't interfere with my academics, and it wasn't too much of an issue. However, during softball season, when it rained most of March and April and therefore we had to play a doubleheader nearly every day in late April/early May, it made the situation interesting when finals came around. I don't remember getting too much sleep back then.
How did you juggle three sports?
I never thought that juggling three sports was unique because it was what I'd always done in high school. I think that because no one told me it was a unique thing to do in college, and we were Division III so I could do whatever I liked (I wasn't tied to a certain sport because of a scholarship), I never even considered not playing all three. I don't know that anyone else played 3 different sports for all 4 years during my time at Binghamton. I am very glad that I played all three sports because I learned different things from each sport. Soccer was the sport in which I was most confident in my abilities and the sport in which I had the largest leadership role. As the goalkeeper and captain for a few years, I had to balance my play with what my coach wanted from me as captain and the issues the players were having. Basketball was a completely different experience. Playing basketball was not something that came as easily for me and I spent my first 3 years mostly sitting on the bench (I only started my senior year). Basketball season is the longest season and sitting on the bench during those years taught me humility, patience, and hard work. I had to work hard to get a starting spot (I didn't have to work as hard in the other 2 sports) and earning that spot my senior year is one of my biggest accomplishments. People used to ask me why I didn't just quit since I didn't play, but I saw it as hypocritical to quit a sport simply because I wasn't playing and only stay on the teams for which I was a starter. Softball was the sport where I had my greatest laughs and met my best friends. There was not a single season where we didn't have a ton of laughs, some tears, and great times. We came in 2nd in 3 of the 4 end-of-year tournaments that we played in, but I'd rather be on a 2nd place team with those women than be on a championship team with anyone else.
As you reflect back ... what remain your fondest memories of being a student-athlete at Binghamton?
Almost all of my fondest memories of being a student-athlete at Binghamton include my teammates. When I was asked to participate in this, I immediately asked my old teammates (who 30+ years later are still great friends) what their fondest memories were. It didn't seem right that I give my views alone since all of my memories were formed as part of a team. The following is a general compilation of my and their thoughts... We were incredibly lucky in that we had the chance to play with intelligent, caring, witty people who made a commitment to a sport and to each other. We made each other laugh, but more importantly, we made each other better. We were all good players when we arrived, but we were complete players when we left. What we learned from our teammates has made a difference in just about everything we've ever done after college. We built a bond in Binghamton that will last the rest of our lives. One of my softball teammates (Tina Perry) wrote this poem during the softball season of our freshman year (1987), the year we all met. We all love it because it really summed up that first year (and honestly, the next 30+ years). I thought I'd include it here because it probably describes many people's experiences at Binghamton.
In the beginning, something was wrong.
We all felt as if we didn't belong.
A bunch of strangers with one thing the same.
All of us wanted to play the game.
It took a while but things worked out.
We all got along without a doubt.
Each person helped to sew the seam,
And effortlessly we formed a team.
Together we've tied up all the loose ends.
Before a friendship, now a ship of friends.
-- Tina Perry, Class of 1990
What does it mean to be part of this 50th anniversary celebration?
I am incredibly honored to even be someone who you'd even consider to be a part of this. My experience in athletics at Binghamton has influenced everything I've done since.
