The Struggle to Recover

An Interview with Jennifer Rudy, Captain of the University of Califonia at Santa Barbara Women's Gymnastics Team.

Interview by Reener (click to email her)

On September 11, 2001, University of California at Santa Barbara's (UCSB) new gymnastics coach perished in the terrorist attack on American Airlines Flight 77. Mari-Rae Sopper's death was the most recent and certainly the most tragic blow to the UCSB team. The team had already lost its former head coach, who resigned to pursue her graduate studies. Although the team had been assured that the search for a new coach was underway, the Athletic Department announced a behind-the-scenes decision to discontinue the program on August 9th. The team members successfully lobbied to keep the program alive - for at least one more season. Sopper was hired on a one year contract, but she and team members hoped to use the time to turn the beleaguered team's fate around. 

Jennifer Rudy, UCSB's senior team captain, talks about Mari-Rae Sopper and about the team*s ongoing challenges. 

Question: Jen, you and your teammates have been through a lot in the past few months. Tell us how events unfolded from the time that Coach Fenton resigned until Coach Sopper was hired.

J.R. The events began to unfold when I was living in Washington D.C. for the summer where I had an internship at the Republican National Committee. During the summer, both head and assistant coaches resigned. Megan Fenton wanted to pursue a business degree and Jeff wanted to focus on his club team.  

After learning that they resigned, I got in touch with the Athletic Department to find out about the candidates for the job. I learned the Mari-Rae Sopper was a candidate and that she was living in D.C. I met up with her and we talked nearly every day for hours. I contacted the Athletic Department weekly, encouraging them to hire Mari-Rae. They gave me no indication that they were dropping the program. The day after I returned to Santa Barbara, the Athletic Department contacted me to tell me that they were discontinuing men's and women's gymnastics programs.  

Question:  How did you and your teammates convince the school to reinstate the program for this season?

J.R. When I heard that the program was discontinued, I called Mari-Rae and told her. I was astonished to hear her response. She told me how to build a campaign to reinstate our program, who we needed to contact and what we needed to do. This battle felt comparable to David and the Goliath, but Mari-Rae gave us the strength and confidence to stand up for our team and get our program back. She rallied me up and four days later, my team and I got our program back. It was amazing. She wasn't even our coach yet, and she did more for us in those four days than anyone else. Needless to say, I stormed into the Athletic Department the next day and demanded that she be our coach. A few days later, they brought me into the office and told me that she indeed would be our new coach for the year.  

Question:  You played a role in persuading the Athletic Department to hire Mari-Rae to coach the team. How did you know Mari-Rae and why was it important to you to have her coach your team?

J.R. I knew Mari-Rae for many years. She coached some of my best friends back in Colorado. She was one of the best choreographers I have ever seen. We reunited this summer in Washington D.C. She was working in a law firm there and I was working at the Republican National Committee. We got together and talked for hours. To tell you the truth, she usually did most of the talking. I couldn't believe what she already knew about us! She had never met most of the girls on the team, but she knew our statistics and every skill that every member of the team competed. She was so passionate and so dedicated, I knew that she had the ability to do great things with our program.  

Mari-Rae also helped me remember why I love gymnastics. As a senior on the team, I was struggling to find it in me to push through one more year. Her willingness to make sacrifices to be a part of our team inspired me. Each time we talked, I was ready to drop whatever I was doing, get into the gym and get ready for season.

Question:  When Mari-Rae took on the job of coaching this team, she also challenged herself to save the program. Did she share her plans with you?

J.R. While the two of us lived in D.C., we talked about how we could bring money to the team through fund raisers, booster clubs, alumni associations and shows. She was convinced that she could get our team fully funded within 2 years, and bring our team to a top ten team within 5 years. Listening to her, I had no doubts myself. I was almost sad that I was a senior and would only have one year to work with her.  

After the team was dropped, we talked daily on how to save it. She had so many connections with the gymnastics community. We were ready to start a letter writing campaign and we were going to get in touch with other universities to help our cause. Her ideas were endless, and she was able to convince me that we had it in us to save our program that was to be terminated at the end of this year.  

Question:  What happened when you learned that Mari-Rae was on one of the planes that was involved in the terrorist attacks?

J.R. During the day of Sept. 11, I had been watching TV all day and I just couldn't stand to watch it any longer. I went outside to get some fresh air when the telephone rang. For some reason, I just knew it was something bad. The Athletic Director called me and asked if Mari-Rae had gotten in touch with me to tell me that she missed her flight. I was to pick her up at the airport and to help her find a place to live. It was not like Mari-Rae to miss her flight. I dropped the phone and my body went completely numb. I cried hysterically for hours.  

Our team had already been on an emotional roller coaster. Now one of the most incredible individuals had been taken away from us, too. Words cannot describe how I felt that day, but each day is a new day. I know that Mari-Rae would be disappointed if we did not pull ourselves together.

We have dedicated this year to Mari-Rae's memory.

Question:  As the school year started, your team was still without a coach. Has a new coach been hired yet?

J.R. The Athletic Department told us that we would continue to have a team for the year, and they were already looking for a new coach. Jill Martin, a gymnast who decided not to return this year, volunteered to help out as an assistant until the department hired a new coach. After three weeks, the Athletic Department still had not found us a coach.  

On October 10th, the Athletic Department finally announced Alanna Trimble to be our coach. Alanna was a senior on our team when I was a sophomore. I was excited that the position was finally filled, even if it was filled with a 5'0" alumni.  

Question: How has your preseason been so far?

J.R. The first day of practice, we were so fired up and motivated that I almost didn't believe it was our team, considering what we have been through. Through all of this, we have become closer, tougher and more motivated than ever before. Without a coach, it has been difficult for us to stay as focused as we were at the beginning of the pre-season. The team is also under serious time constraints. All of the other teams have been working out for nearly a month, and they all had coaching staffs that could spot skills and run practice. Nevertheless, we are training hard. I have no doubt that we will be at full strength for the season, and we are going to shock the gymnastics community with some great gymnastics. We are determined to be a team that Mari-Rae would have been proud to have coached.

Question:  Has the Athletic Department indicated a willingness to keep the program alive beyond this season?

J.R. We have one of the most underbudgeted programs in the nation. Most schools' recruiting budgets exceed our entire yearly budget, including coaching salaries! Yet, the Athletic Department indicates that we must raise $4 million dollars to keep the program. To be perfectly honest, being an athlete and a student is difficult enough, but to expect a gymnastics team to raise $4 million dollars on the side is unreal. Despite the fact that Mari-Rae's mother put together a memorial fund to raise money for our cause, it will be quite difficult to raise $4 million dollars. We are looking for corporate sponsors, appealing to talk shows like Rosie and Oprah, and we are contacting alumni. We are also trying to set up our own trust fund.

Question:  How can people help?

J.R.  People can help by contacting our Athletic Director, Gary Cunningham, by phone, letter or email. Donations are greatly appreciated as well.  We would love to send donors autographed pictures and a copy of our schedule and upcoming events as well as our most sincere gratitude.  

Thank you, Jen, for sharing your story. Best wishes to you and team this season.

Reener can be reached directly at reener@collegegymfans.com

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