Wednesday. June 16, 1993 - The Michiaan Daily Summer Weeky -15
CHEERLEADING
Continued from page 14
He confimed that only four cheer-
leaders traveled to the first and second
games of the tournament, but did not
say why Michigan took such a small
number - the NCAA allowed for the
cheerleaders to provide 11 athletes, a
mascot, and a coach.
Long said he did not know why
Michigan sent four cheerleaders.
Schmidt said that as a result of the
reduced squad, the team was belittled
and embarrassed by television sports-
casters and boosters.
"We were accosted by fans who
wanted to know why we only had four
cheerleaders," she said.
Schmidtsaidsheneverhadameet-
ing with Bradley-Doppes to discuss
the incident and does not feel that the
incident is justification for her firing.
"Administrators should discuss
problemsandsolutions,"Schmidtsaid.
"Nothing like that had ever taken
place.
Schmidtalsocriticized the Athletic
Department for not taking her coach-
ing record into consideration. The
cheerleadingsquadhastakenfirstplace
honorsinregionalcompetitionsfor the
last four years.
"Youcan'ttellmel'mabadcoach,"
Schmidt said.
She added that this was the first
year the squad was taken toevery away
football game - for this reason, she
feels the decision to fire her stemmed
from the incident involving her
fundraising activities for the NCAA
basketball tournament, rather than the
squad's performance..
Bradley-Doppes refused to say if
Schmidt's dismissal was related to the
tournament incident.
"I'm not in any position to discuss
any situations," Bradley-Doppes said.
"That is what Personnel is for."
Schmidt said Bradley-Doppes had
threatened to fire her before-after an
incident at a Michigan women's bas-
ketball game last year.
According toSchmidt,Doppeshad
ordered the cheerleaders out on the
0 basketballcourt during an injury time-
- out.Schmidtrefusedtheorderandsaid
it was improper behavior.
"You do not cheer when aplayeris
down," Schmidtsaid. "She threatened
me with firing if I did not send my
cheerleaders out."
Doppes, she said, did not approach
her with the order to cheer. Instead,
Bradley-Doppes told the varsity cap-
tain to take the team on the floor.
Schmidt said she later met with
Bradley-Doppes to resolve the inci-
dent.
Bradley-Doppes could not be
reached for comment on the issue, but
several sources in the Athletic Depart-
ment confirmed Schmidt's story.
Three years ago, the Athletic De-
partment investigated Schmidt amid
allegations from members of the
cheerleading squad who maintained
she was an incompetent coach, prac-
ticed favoritism and had siphoned
money from the program.
An internal investigation proved
Schmidt innocent-clearing her of all
the charges.
Members of the varsity cheer-
leading squad reacted with mixed emo-
tions at the news of Schmidt's firing.
"I feel really bad," senior cheer-
leader Kristin Kaleniecki said. "I don't
like the way it was hn ied."
She said she had the impression
that the Athletic Department was al-
ways holding the threat of firing over
Schmidt's head. She said former team
members had made past complaints to
theDepartment,questioning Schmidt's
coaching abilities.
"A change could be good,"
Kaleniecki said.
Brent Lignell, alsoa senior, saidhe
wasnot surprisedby Schmidt's firing.
"It'sbeenexpectedjustfromknowl-
edge of her relationship with Peggy
Doppes," Lignell said.
He said there were incidents be-
tween the two,butrefused toelaborate.
"It's definitely upsetting,"he said.
Junior cheerleader Tanneisha
Barlow said she was surprised by the
announcement and felt it was unjus-
tified.
"I thought the Athletic Department
had it out for her," Barlow said.
Schmidt said she is unsure of her
future plans. She has retained an at-
torney to determine the possibility of
future litigation.
"I'll have to think thisthroughcare-
fully and see if this is worth pursuing,"
Schmidt said.
PETER MATTHEWS/Daily
Former pitcher Dave Dravecky greets tykes seeking his autograph at a local cancer center.
Drvecky speaks of career,
recovery at cancer center
By KEN DAVIDOFF
DAILY SPORTS EDTOR
Little hasbeen heard of former All-
Star pitcher Dave Dravecky since he
losthisleftarm tocancerin early 1991.
That is not to say, however, that he
hasn't made any noise.
Dravecky appeared Sunday as the
keynote speaker at the opening of the
Robert H. and Judy Dow Alexander
Cancer Care Center. In an approxi-
mately half-hour long speech,
Dravecky discussedthevalueoflaugh-
terrelivedhisrise to the major leagues
and urged people to "live for today."
"(You should)make today the best
day that we can possibly make it,"
Dravecky said. "And part of that is
realizing what we can give to other
people."
Dravecky and his wife Jan nowrun
the non-profit Dave Dravecky Foun-
dation, which offers encouragement to
can-ce crvioiecamnnt-e e nd thmce
who have experienced depression.
"What wedoas far as depression is
concerned, or cancer, or amputees, is
just to write letters of encouragement
to (victims of these afflictions),"
Dravecky said. "We geta lotofphone
calls and a lot of letters referring to
struggling with the issue of cancer.
They're depressed, or they're think-
ingaboutthepossibilityofamputation.
..."Sowhatwedoiswejustgetonthe
phone, andI'lljusttalk tothem,justbe
alisteneras they share their story with
me. And in the process, if there's
something I can share with them that
might help them or encourage them, I
will."
Dravecky began his major league
career with the San Diego Padres in
1982 and pitched against the Detroit
Tigers in the 1984 World Series.In
1987, the Padres traded him to the San
Francisco Giants. His left arm was
first diagnosed with cancer in 1988.
He made a well-publicizedcomeback
in 1989, but he broke his arm in his
second appearance.
InNovember 1989, the cancer re-
turned, and Dravecky announced his
retirement from baseball. In early
1991, doctors removed Dravecky's
left arm, shoulder blade and left side
of his collarbone.
Draveckysaidhestillfollowsbase-
ball, and he pooh-poohed the chic
thought that baseball is no longer the
"national sport."
"Ithinkmaybeinsome cases we're
jumping the gun by saying thatbase-
ball is (on the way down)," Dravecky
said. "I'm not quite sure where the
numbers are this year, butIknow that
last year was another successful year
for baseball in attendance.
"(Fans) love the game of baseball.
It is America's favorite pastime."
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