It is with great confusion and frustration that we, members of Brown Softball, respond to the article that appeared in The Herald last week regarding Coach Flynn and the Brown Softball program. As a preliminary matter, it should be understood that we speak for ourselves, not the whole team, and have delayed our reaction to the article because all our attention and energy were spent on our game against Yale and the never-ending study sessions that consume us and every other student at Brown. The lack of an immediate response from the present members of the team was not a result of intimidation by any party or a fear of negative repercussions. We do not modify, mitigate or change our positions or opinions because of fear or intimidation. As with all students of Brown, we seek excellence in all that we do — whether on the field or in the classroom — and do not tolerate any form of oppression or activity that does not rise to Brown’s high standards.
The events described in the article allegedly occurred at a time before most of the current players arrived at Brown. As such, it would be improper and unfair for the new players to comment on what past players may or may not have experienced. But some of the players who were on the team at the time of these alleged events do not share the opinions expressed by those who were the focus of the article. In contrast, some of the current players who were under the guidance of Coach Flynn before this year have experienced a coach who is passionate about the great game of softball and has brought out the best in her players through both her words and her actions. These players will tell you that Coach Flynn pushes them to be the best they can be and expects them to perform not only at a Division 1 level but, more importantly, in harmony with Brown’s principles as well.
The first-year players are in agreement with their older teammates in that they have found Coach Flynn to be passionate about her responsibilities to a Division 1 athletic program while embracing her most important responsibility — educating young women in the Brown tradition. We, as current players, do not recognize the woman identified as Coach Flynn in the article. Moreover, most readers are consumed by the unethical reporting of Flynn’s alleged actions or inactions and by the conclusory tone of the article, which does not fairly present all of the facts. The timing of the article — at the tail end of a season in which the team increased its win total by 200 percent — is also confusing. Sadly, the contents of the article weighed heavily on the team during its final weekend of play. The concerns arising after the article’s release could not be ignored at a time when the team and the Brown community were celebrating Senior Day for the team’s departing players. Instead of enjoying a time of celebration for both a turnaround season and the softball careers of our seniors, the members of Brown Softball and the Brown community in general are left with an unfortunate article consisting of speculation, bias and fragmented facts. It is plausible that the players who left the program departed for reasons other than how they were treated, (i.e. competition from new players, participating in exchange programs, etc.) These additional reasons for leaving the team were never presented in the respective article.
The women of Brown Softball and the members of the Brown community at large deserve better than what was provided by the article. If the high standards that make up Brown Softball were broken, consequences should be swift and justified. Likewise, if parties make untrue allegations, we should also reject those swiftly and justly. It is times like this when our Ivy League intellect and desire for “due process” should guide and control our thought process and conclusions pertaining to this matter.
Go Bruno,
Lauren Hanna ’17, Annie McGregor ’18, Grayson Metzger ’18, Leah Nakashima ’17, Katie Orona ’18, Yeram Park ’18, Julia Schoenewald ’17
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