COLUMN: Silence is not golden for W. Lax

After four months of confusion, a petition signed by all 22 players and the worst women's lacrosse season in Penn history, the only coach the program has ever known is without her job of 27 years. The saga has finally ended. Well, almost. To say the circumstances surrounding the Penn women's lacrosse team for the past few months were unusual would be an understatement. Prior to the season, the members of the team submitted a petition to the Athletic Department that said they refused to take the field for the 1999 season with Sage as their coach. Sage's unstructured and unconventional practices prepared the Quakers for nothing but embarrassment and disappointment in '99. Assistant coach Alanna Wren assumed charge when Penn asked Sage to take a leave of absence, and she did everything in her power to salvage the season. But there was not much that could be done. The Red and Blue stumbled to a miserable 1-12 record, as opponents steamrolled past them, often winning by double-digit margins. It would be foolish to say that Sage's situation away from Franklin Field had nothing to do with the Quakers' performance on it. Sage remained the official head coach throughout the spring, but the team had not seen her since the petition was submitted. And since that time, the Quakers claimed that Sage had no impact on the way they played. In a way, that's true. She had no direct interaction with them for the whole season. But indirectly, it was her insufficient preseason workouts that put the Quakers in the hole from which they could not climb out. Now it's finally over. Or, more precisely, the first step has been completed. Sage is gone, but the confusion remains. The women's lacrosse players are still in the darkness that hovered over them every time they took the field this spring. During each game, the Quakers could look to the program and see the name "Anne Sage" listed as the head coach. They knew that it was misleading, that she was not there, that she had nothing to do with them at that point, but they also knew their program was in turmoil. Wren deserves credit for what she did as the interim head coach, but she could not do anything to resolve Sage's status. It was out of her control. Sage and the Athletic Department spent four months trying to reach an end to this conflict. It was undoubtedly a difficult situation for both parties. Sage is practically a lacrosse legend. From her playing days at Temple in the 1960s through her 27-year career at Penn, she has made a name for herself in the lacrosse world. She has a spot in the Temple Hall of Fame, 151 career wins, a trip to the Final Four and, most importantly, a contract that extended through next season. From the onset, it was clear this would not be a short process. And after four long months, we know just one thing: Anne Sage is no longer an employee of the University of Pennsylvania. That's it. Athletic Department officials will not comment on it, and no one seems to have any details. The members of the team certainly don't. "No, we really haven't been told much at all through the whole thing," junior Sara Evans said. In fact, three days after the announcement, the SP contacted five members of the team. Four of them had no idea that Sage was gone, and senior captain Brooke Jenkins was the only one aware of the recent development. But at least the players were not the last to find out. Wren, who is still serving as the acting head coach, learned of Sage's departure four days after it occurred and only by reading a press release. No one had even contacted her directly. The Athletic Department may have had good reasons for not involving Wren and the players in the process with Sage. We just don't know what those reasons may be. But the players have a right to know. The longer the members of the team remain unsure of their coaching situation, the longer it will take to rebuild this program. Anne Sage has already done enough damage. It's time to end this sad chapter in the history of Penn women's lacrosse. Problems with Sage had been building for several years, and the University was well aware of them. According to Jenkins, the problem was just made worse when Penn renewed Sage's contract last season. What was the result of re-signing Sage? Twelve losses and a .077 winning percentage for 1999. By signing the petition, the players initiated the first step in the rebuilding process: removing Sage. The Athletic Department just completed that step. But it is now time for these two sides to work together on the second step. After four months of silence, the Athletic Department owes it to the players to inform them as to what has happened with their program. And the players themselves must have input in the search for a new coach, a search that should be completed as soon as possible if Penn hopes to improve before the 2000 season. Anne Sage is no longer an employee of the University of Pennsylvania, and for the health of Penn women's lacrosse, that's good. But it is still only a first step in an ongoing process -- a process that cannot continue without the players.

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