By Don McLean

 

Becky Sisley, 77, is a legend, and yet we're not allowed enough space to cover it all.  She’s been an amazing athlete and an honored educator with a Doctoral degree.  Arriving at the University of Oregon in 1965, she has served as teacher, coach, Women's Athletic Director, undergraduate program head and now owns the title of Professor Emeritus. She has been inducted into the UO Athletic Hall of Fame (1998) and the USATF Master’s Hall of Fame (2001).  A field hockey and softball player and coach, she started training for Masters track & Field at the age of 49.  Has owned age group world records in the pole vault and heptathlon, and American records in the javelin, high jump, triple jump, and 80 and 200 meter hurdles.

 

 

1.  What a resume!  You started at UO in 1965. Title IX was passed in 1972, though efforts to implement the law didn’t begin until regulations were passed several years later.  What was it like during those early years prior to and after Title IX for women athletes and coaches?

 

Being a coach was one of your assignments, in fact, you were called the adviser of the sport interest group. There were no uniforms, no equipment was given to participants, and we drove to away events in motor pool cars.  The very limited funding came from a student fee allocation.  Many of the coaches had little or no playing experience in the sports they “coached”.  I coached basketball the winter of 1966.  We practiced one night a week and played about four games.  This was before the five player game and unlimited dribbling.  Field hockey was the exception.  I played in the collegiate hockey conference at Oregon, as a UW freshmen, and wore a uniform and had a coach.

 

2.  Coed track & field meets weren’t held at UO until 1977.  Why?  Unequal coaching, facilities, travel, meals? Even after that? 

 

Universities were required to conduct a compliance review of Title IX implementation during the 1975-76 academic year.  The following year changes toward equity began to happen.  Coach-athlete ratio, per diem, mode of travel to competition, facilities, equipment and uniforms, publicity, etc were compared.  As a result of all the disparities for women, it was decided the simplest way to begin to solve major compliance issues was to merge women’s athletics with the existing Athletic Department.  This occurred on April 1, 1977.

 

Regarding co-ed track meets, there was concern the meet would last too long, and fans wouldn’t be interested in the women.  Doubters were met with a big surprise as the Oregon meets were a huge success. It helped we had an experienced head coach in Tom Heinonen, even though he was still a grad student that year.  Our first away coed meet was at WSU.  The men were to fly and the women to ride a bus; well, both teams took the bus and both teams won. This was in spite of the fact some of the women weren’t allowed access to properly warm up for their events.

 

3.  Backing up even further, how did you first get interested participating in sports?  Early athletic experience?  

 

I grew up in a neighborhood with boys. Somehow I got a used mitt and loved to play catch.  In the sixth grade our PE teacher organized softball games at noon between teams from the four different classrooms.   I played on both the boys and girls teams.  I played Seattle Park Dept softball a couple years.  As a HS senior I organized a basketball team of my classmates and we won the city championship.  I started to play summer league ASA softball after my sophomore year. In my senior year in college I began to play for Erv Lind Florists of Portland.  Our team won the 1964 World Softball Championship.  At  UW we had a hockey team, were coached, had uniforms and played about 10 games a year.   I loved this sport too, and continued to play for the Eugene Hockey Club until 1977.

 

4. Any special stories to share about Bowerman 

 

My first year at Oregon I took Bowerman”s jogging class. It was on a dirt track with concrete curbing on what now is the intramural playing field behind the west grandstands. I remember learning about pacing for the 800.  Twenty-five years later he gave funds to support the Oregon Women’s Sports Leadership Network I founded. He was always friendly and positive with me.  I remember visiting his home in the Coburg hills and seeing the famous waffle iron.  He had his cobbler make me a pair of light-weight pink Nikes to run the OTC marathon in 1981.

 

5. With all your awesome athletic talents, why did you wait until age 49 to start your track career?  Advice to other aging athletes, male and/or female?   (Godknows we need it.)

 

That’s when OTCM and Co- directors Barbara Kousky and Tom Jordan organized and won the bid to host the 1989 WAVA World Championship in Eugene.  I had always wanted to throw the javelin and high jump.  So I started to train in 1988 and get connected with the track community as I competed in meets in Eugene, Portland and Silverton.  

 

6.  Was there a coach or another who got your started and helped you hone your track & field talents?  

 

Early on I got some coaching tips from Mark Stream (who I had hired at UO), John Gillespie, and Sally Harmon, who had been one of my students.  I hired Val Nasedkin to coach me and later had both Jenny Kenyon and Kelly Blair coach me for hurdles, shot, and long jump. When I started pole vaulting at age 55, I worked out with Raising the Bar club with Dan West and Mark Vanderville coaching.  At that time I was fortunate to practice primarily at Hayward Field. 

 

7.  You only recently retired as age group competitor.  What are your key pro tips to keep going as we advance into decrepitude?

 

“Listen to your body.”  When you do multi-events you must use your energy wisely - resting some muscles groups while using others.  I stopped the triple jump when I started to pole vault, as there was a lot of pounding on my knees.  Regular massages are very important ---thank you Kathy Picknell-Gelhausen and Kathleen Dugan.

 

8.  Stuff you woulda, coulda, shoulda done?

 

I’ve had a five-prong career at Oregon with very different job demands during the 39 years,  My early softball focus and strong educational background have been the major influences that allowed me to advance up my career ladder.  The addition of T&F training and competing was just the frosting on the cake. I’m very happy with my life challenges, including the challenge to improve my skills.  Now I am enjoying travel and fitness activities that are kind on my body, fun and relaxing.

 

9.  Predictions, thoughts, concerns about women's sports in the future?  

 

Women’s sports will continue to get better.  The opportunities and benefits that have been afforded girls and women because of Title IX have spurred the tremendous development and increased participation.  One concern I have is the specialization of one sport when girls are so young.  Yet we have witnessed how this practice has made Olympic champions.  Social development may vary considerably if on a team sport versus an individual sport.  Youth need opportunities to find the sport they have a passion for.