Retirement: The Legacies of Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Carol Cantele and Women’s Field Hockey Coach Barb Jordan
Carol Cantele (left) and Barb Jordan (Photos courtesy of Gettysburg College)
By Sarah Laud, Staff Writer
In March of 2022, Head Coach for Field Hockey and Associate Women’s Lacrosse Coach Barb Jordan and Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Carol Cantele announced their respective retirements after working alongside one another for twenty years.
When reflecting on why they dedicated their lives to their sports, both Jordan and Cantele noted that there were motivating reasons. For Jordan, it was the feeling of joy from being on a team.
“It was being part of something bigger than myself,” said Jordan.
For Cantele, having an idol kept her moving in sports.
“You don’t know you can do something until you see someone else doing it,” Cantele said.
Cantele’s earliest idols kept her motivated to keep improving. She was attracted to the feeling of knowing that you were good at something and being able to have a certain mastery of a skill.
Cantele, part of the Gettysburg College Class of 1983, played field hockey and lacrosse. Cantele chose Gettysburg College for the Education Program—she wanted to be a health and physical education teacher. However, her lacrosse coach at the college had plans to retire and reached out to Cantele about taking over the coaching position.
“She said ‘maybe you want to apply and come back home,’” said Cantele.
Cantele was well-prepared for the coaching job, and she successfully got the job.
Jordan, on the other hand, went to college at Pennsylvania State University. A member of the Class of 1986, Jordan played field hockey for two years and lacrosse for four.
Jordan was a former coach at Bucknell University. After spending years working for the Division I program, Jordan felt that her philosophies were not aligned with the values of the school. She found that she was saying “no” to her students too much, and, because of it, they were missing out on the full college experience. As such, she decided to coach at the Division III Gettysburg College program, where her athletes have more opportunities to participate in other activities outside of their sport.
Jordan reflects on her favorite part about her job at Gettysburg.
“It’s the student-athletes we get to work with on a daily basis,” said Jordan. “But even outside of athletics, Gettysburg has a special community.”
Cantele echoed a similar reasoning, noting that the student relationships are what makes the college so special.
“Everyone working at the college has the students as their primary concern and our colleagues are equally as invested in them,” said Cantele.
Cantele and Jordan also reflect on their gratitude for the people they’ve been surrounded by.
“Whether it be in Servo or otherwise, it is the people that have created memorable but significant times that have impacted our lives,” said Jordan.
Similarly, for Cantele, her favorite memories are not certain games, but the working parts surrounding them.
“Some bus rides have been epic,” Cantele said. She recalled the ride from the 2017 National Championship and after a big win at Franklin and Marshall College. She also noted the many pranks her student-athletes have played on each other.
When asked about specific milestones Cantele and Jordan have accomplished during their time at Gettysburg, they never mentioned a specific win. Both feel success is defined by relationships and memories made.
“When we talk about the programs, we don’t talk about the wins and losses. We talk about the memories we have,” Jordan said.
Similarly, Cantele noted that it has not always been about the championships or the big wins either, but rather seeing her student-athletes putting in the work and accomplishing their goals.
“Watching them grow is pretty neat. At the end of the day, it is about seeing the growth of players and students from when they come in to when they depart,” Cantele said.
Jordan and Cantele reflect on how the culture surrounding women’s sports since the time they were in college
“You used to have to be a certain way when the game was over,” said Jordan “It is a great thing to see that the barriers have been ripped down a bit since Barb and I played.”
Before, women’s sports schedules were timed precisely to ensure that they weren’t ‘strenuous,’” said Cantele.
Their favorite thing, now, is the empowerment, that women can be strong, confident, and independent. College athletics have changed tremendously, and Cantele and Jordan have seen its upswing.
Likewise, Jordan’s motivation to have a career in coaching came from a similar feeling of empowerment: a mutual empowerment between student and coach, working together towards a common goal.
“Of course, why I do what I do changes a lot through the years because coaching is a rollercoaster,” Jordan said. “Overall, I knew I wanted to be here because I enjoyed being with the student athletes and they made me want to be better as a coach.”
Cantele knew that she would return to Gettysburg because of the experience she had here as a student.
“I knew I would be returning and I was able to work alongside the people that I knew when I was a student. However, to replace the woman I knew that pretty much made me, me is something I will never forget,” said Cantele.
As for what is next, Cantele is focused on winning the next games.
“It’s about finishing our work here with every ounce of energy. Then it’s time to reflect for a bit and go make a difference in another way,” Cantele explained.
Jordan has similar plans of giving back to the community.
“I’m going to take a little bit of a break, but then go find something as meaningful as my time here has been and another way to give back,” Jordan said.
