Kathy Delaney-Smith

" Good morning this is exceptional women I gave Vernon and this morning I'm going back into the archives to an interview recorded right here in our magic studios back in October. Of 2006. With a very talented successful and courageous basketball coach. Kathy Delaney Smith."

" Exceptional women are everywhere some make headlines others make things happen quietly and airlines ended the lives of the people they love. Exceptional women are hard to find -- your neighbors and your friends. And we want you to meet them good morning I gave Vernon and this morning's guest who loves this time of year because it won't be long before she gets DL things like full court press. And block that shot Kathy Delaney Smith started playing basketball for neighborhood team in Newton went to as a kid. Little did she know that one of the greatest joys in her life would be to introduce the love of the game two other young women from more than three decades."

" Delaney Smith graduated from Bridgewater State College she began coaching at Westwood high school where she compiled six undefeated regular seasons. And let her girls team to a state championship. She also compiled an impressive 204. And 31. Record. And was named the national high school coaches association coach of the year in 1981. Now the winningest coach in Ivy League history. She has spent the past 25 years coaching the women's basketball team. At Harvard university. And she's led her team to multiple Ivy League titles and multiple NCAA tournament. She was also the first woman ever inducted into the Massachusetts basketball Hall of Fame in 1986. Her mantle has to be filled with awards and accolades for not just her coaching expertise. But also. For her inspiring. Character. Delaney Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 she coached thirteen through her regiment of surgery radiation and chemotherapy. Determination has to be her middle name. I asked her about her favorite."

" Childhood memory I am 57. And never been asked that question I would have to say. Family Christmas is. From Christmas Eve to Christmas morning is at the top of my list. I was also and make queens that was a big high -- for me. Is a Catholic Church in it was CMA. Procession and I wore eight."

" Bridal gown and very own which ironically I didn't do when I got married. So I guess when I was sixteen years old that was the big thing and there were these little adorable girls carrying them Vail and we marched to the streets of Newton and I just thought that was fabulous."

" Tell me happy about your role models growing up when you wore an adolescent girl when you were a teenager who did you look up."

" My mother you know -- I I did then but even more so now. It has hit me so strongly. How phenomenal shoeless I always tell people she was a woman had every time I think she was born. Fifty years too early she was a feminist without being offensive her work ethic was off the charts I think about. Raising six children in a traditional home where of the fathers goes on works and how assisting chairman meals on the table and you have six children."

" She had three jobs at the time. And she was a big sports advocate."

" In the fifties and sixties when there wasn't a whole lot for little girls teenage girls or women and she provided basketball. From. The third grade up she provided never actually volleyball for. Women in the neighborhood I mean I can just go on and on she also had three relatives her dad very ill live in our home died in our home she had an aunt and uncle. Elderly brought him into our home."

" Lived in our home died in our home and all that raising six children and I'm going against that she would tell you she didn't do anything special yup she was -- and I have once on."

" And now I think anyone who has more than one child is an absolute hero so -- further and older and wiser I get the more I appreciate."

" How incredible -- otherwise when did you who knows that you're pretty good athlete well even now I don't think dynamics and that's funny I. I know athletics. I never have felt. It was a great athlete in my mother used to always when it I played basketball for her."

" And she would always tell me how gonna it was that I never truly believed I was very good I'm a little short. I'm a little slow I think as so I worked harder at being a good shooter. I'd probably worked harder knowing athletics now on the tennis fanatic I'm still spending time trying to convince myself that I can actually get to the ball."

" And are you still in the pool because I have to tell you when I disagree searched high and so excited to say that I never interviewed a synchronized swimmer and our own now you are on the squad for four years in college is it really as much fun -- it looks and is it difficult. It's extremely difficult and I glad I'm on the you're saying this. Because in my basketball world I take a lot of abuse were speaking of synchronized swimmer and it was a very well kept secret for probably. Twenty years until one of my assistant coaches let it out it's in the bio now I know. However my intention. In college was to go and swim competitively. And it was in the early sixties and I marched myself down to the pull. Expecting to be and swim team and they didn't have one. And there was -- synchronized swimmers. And I love swimming and I wanted to be a swim coach and so I found myself on that team absolutely loved it and it's extremely. Grueling it's very very difficult if in fact. When I coached a USA basketball team of the best women's basketball players in the country. They made fun of my synchronized swimming so I took them into the Mediterranean Sea we were in Croatia. And we did to synchronized swimming and they learned very quickly that it was a little more difficult and you know a couple laps up and on the basketball court. So I think it gets a bad rap because of the outfits. And the smiles and a lipstick and the glitter. When did basketball thing takeover when did you know that coaching basketball. Was -- even as late as my senior in college I wanted to be a swim teachers swim coach I was a physical education major. I applied to three of four high schools that had swimming pools with the intention of becoming this swim coach at west -- high school superintendents."

" Daughter played basketball and he said to continue coached basketball team here and when I really didn't know if I could but I told him my kind. And so I got the job with the intention of being the swim coach -- I would do the basketball as a favor to him and I was zero and eleven my first year in high."

" And the basketball program I did not know it with his Tyner and I was probably fifteen to zero in swimming we were very and swimming. And then over a period of six or seven years I've found love with basketball and to read a lot of books. Go to a lot of clinics and of self taught because I didn't playing college. Retired from swimming and just sound level with the basketball those years at Westwood high school had to have been absolutely great anyone thing that stands out distinct title is at the top of the list for sure but I would say -- year any near the town was absolutely wonderful year inning hero we got phenomenal support for the seven innings."

" There are sometimes 1200 people in our gym watching a girl's past month and."

" And in the seventies that was very unusual what does coaching give you it's ever changing. I love that it's never the same thing I love that the challenges are different all the time I love the strength it takes to get old firm."

" Losing because I do not want to lose but my favorite part of coaching."

" Are the student athletes I love when a student athlete -- whether it's as a player she becomes a better shooter."

" Or she brings her the confidence to a new level high. Where she has a new sense of poise and maturity I mean I -- that all the time that's my favorite thing about coaching a reminder it's Sunday morning in your listening to exceptional women here on magic minus six point 7:9 gave Vernon this morning. We've gone back into the archives to an interview recorded with Kathy Delaney Smith. Here in our magic studios back in October of 2006. In the spotlight today the coach of the Harvard women's basketball team for the past 25 years. Kathy Delaney Smith Kathy we know that your big influence on quite a few young women as a matter of fact you just talked about watching them come in to the program perhaps as girls. And leave for years later as mature adults it's not just basketball skills that you're teaching I'm sure that is so satisfying to you. And I'm guessing -- lot of women keep in touch."

" Yes I tell everyone my favorite weekend is alumni weekend dad. Harvard and that is unfortunately have to coach two games but I love when all of the women like coach come back I would watch their interaction with each other I watched the interaction. With my coaching staff and myself. And the stories are never accurate they always change year to year. It seems I make no way more mistakes ten years out in fifteen years out and they all really do talk about."

" How important to being in the program was in their professional -- and it really is way bigger than just a sport at Harvard it it's part of who they've become and they use all their tools."

" to be a doctor to be a lawyer to be a teacher sport is in a valuable educational. Resource. It's not an extra curricular and that's what I see when these women come back. And that's when I hear."

" It's 1982. You make the big jump from coaching in high school. To coaching in college for what a leap of faith you must've had nerves of steel I'm sure you take a long time to think about it but gosh you were brain."

" This is the words you should -- lose I'd never wanted to be a college coach I was so happy being a high school teacher. And -- high school coach and I didn't feel that I was who we -- should be as a high school coach aside. There was no way more I can do it -- of high school so I had no goals to be a college coach Tom I received a letter from Harvard because I was the local your local. And the AD lived in my town and they were just being polite to me I went over for the interview with had no intention of."

" Getting the job wanting the job I didn't prepare for an interview I had this false perception of Harvard that. It was this."

" Rich snooty elite arrogant place and I wouldn't fit in there because I'm. Clearly not -- it was a -- funny thing that after I spent a day of grueling interview was -- love with the -- this."

" Promise of really wanting the job because of the people I just loved the people over there I was very sad to leave Westwood high school but at that time a lot of the teachers were being let go because of a proposition. Was it to -- well absolutely and I found I found at age thirty. Two I was the youngest teacher in the school I thought that was bad I side."

" High schools in particular news benefit from. You know the older experienced teacher and the young clueless teacher and then. Everybody in between and it was really shifting to just older teachers can you need -- young 2223. Year old teacher in the system meant and they weren't there anymore I was. Very very to set -- with with where public education is going at the time that's really why I took the job."

" Kathy Delaney Smith the very successful Harvard women's basketball coach for the past 25 years is my guest this morning on exceptional women. Kathy how you get past the roadblocks in life do you call your mom for advice for instance when your -- eleven I think --"

" Then I definitely called my mother for advice if she does one who fostered independents and all of her children. When I went off to -- to Edison college which was forty minutes from my home. I was traumatized. I just never was in a gym class -- into a parochial schools so."

" never had feel talking in across the south by played basketball for my mother and swim at the lake."

" So I was really jobs has so I called my mother crying and this is gonna sound very -- and she said. Casting -- lot and hung up on me. So I think I had no choice but to you know sort of figure things out she -- as she got older and I got older after she."

" Fostered my independence -- and she was a wonderful support and mantra for me. In my early years of coaching I I truly would lose a basketball game at Westwood and it would take me. To a three weeks to get over it and I am not kidding."

" You could ask my husband on the outside I put the smile on and I pretended it was okay because that's that you really have to do. But it ate me up inside and I would call her and she would always have the right words to say enemy is just a game -- don't worry about it."

" It worked when talking to folks at the -- center for women's cancers at Dana Farber Brigham and women's cancer senator. They can't say enough about Kathy Delaney Smith. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. She continued to coach as she underwent a grueling year. A surgery radiation and chemotherapy. In the years since she continues to give back. She's taped public service announcements for the American Cancer Society she attends events for Dana Farber. She's happy to tell her story when ever lasting courage in cancer survivors. And urging his many people as possible to work for cures -- tell me how you found out that you indeed had breast cancer."

" Well I turned fifty inside I'd better have a physical because I am one of those people that is healthy healthy healthy and so I probably didn't have enough physicals did you have a mammogram when I was supposed to sell. That's a good thing."

" But I just to I was feeling tired rundown and a wonderful nurse practitioner who actually found a lump in a breast exam before I saw the doctor she had me sign up for -- Right away the next morning in fact."

" So I kind of knew something was going on they sent me from the mammogram to the radiologist. That morning from the radiologists of the breast surgeons that morning. So you know -- it was a large slumped and even though I hadn't had a biopsy yet. I could tell it was breast cancer and I had the biopsy that afternoon as a matter of -- so everybody I felt blessed to be in Boston and I went to."

" Brigham and women's from my biopsy I had -- surgery at Mass. General and Dana -- took care of the rest and."

" A to Z it was outstanding care Kathy do you actually remember how you felt when you got the diagnosis I was horrified it was surreal to me. It was probably the scariest thing that ever happened to me my first reaction was I will tell no one. No one will find out about this. I will tell my husband and I will deal with it myself and then when I found out that I was gonna have traditional."

" Breast cancer care from the surgery to the chemotherapy where I would lose all my hair to radiation."

" I realize -- can lose all my hair I wasn't gonna hide it now well. So I told my assistant coaches and again it was going to be -- seeker we weren't going to Tony -- a lot of a cancer patients don't want people to."

" You know be nervous surround you and feel sorry for you and all that nonsense then I went into an infusion room and there was a teacher and a woman there. Who had a -- on that I thought was her real -- she looked fabulous. And she told me I could continue coaching if I wanted to be a little tired but if I chose to keep on working during all of this treatments I could."

" And she helped me so much -- not."

" I should help people. So I blurted out one name actually without even thinking then it got written in the newspapers and people found out about it they said have your -- checked -- three sisters and my younger sister. Had a mammogram and --"

" Also was diagnosed with breast cancers treatments later after me. Her cancer was a different kind to end."

" If I hadn't been diagnosed she may not be alive today so now we all feel pretty blessed that we diagnosed and got through it and we're all very healthy when you finally told your assistance."

" And Harvard and basketball team how did they react they were absolutely wonderful to hardest announcements work. My husband and son that was the first night and then the next day and I asked my team and we bring in a team room and you know they just 171819. Years old many of them hadn't even heard the word cancer and when you do it's. If you and if you don't educate yourself and you don't know all the facts it's very scary they just Jeremy some cried. -- had no idea what to do so we decided on a team -- And then the next day they were very afraid of me say they didn't know what to say or do a Grammy and."

" So I had to make some jokes out of that I had to say. You know -- We're gonna use humor to get through this so. I'll let you cut my hair and when I go bald you can see it we can laugh together and you know I'm a person who loves to use humor that's my strategy to get two things that -- to get through."

" And it worked they helped me right I would never have made it without them. Com and hopefully if they have to experience it again themselves or have a loved one who experiences -- they will cease there's light at the end of the tunnel. And you know it's okay."

" I have heard some former cancer patients tell me that there relationships with people with with their spouse even with their children change some good some not what about your situation and my husband was a saint. My son also was a saint."

" I I think my son wrote his."

" College application in his essay was about the experience and as he gets. Older and those of his life she will be less afraid of the word cancer and you'll understand. That we can get through and you can help I did choose to continue to work and you do get tired and that's you know it helped me to do that but -- get tired."

" So I would go home."

" Home and he would see the real me that takes a strong wonderful person."

" To be able to do that."

" You know because I was bald and I was tired and I wasn't. The normal Cathy at home to -- member of the darkest and through the treatment it probably was my fourth key moment."

" Where I had to coached through that. And -- we went right to the last weekend and if we won the last weekend we would go to the NCAA tournament."

" If we lost the last weekend the season was over and we lost. And that was a sign from a higher power saying enough is enough here to tell huge update."

" And I went home and I don't think I got out of bed for four days I was. Really exhausted you know that you know you can deal with deny Jacques it is they can fix that. There's so many wonderful things they do -- but you do get tired and if you do not used to being tired that was the overwhelming feeling that hit me."

" This is exceptional women on a Sunday morning here on magic -- six point seven -- gave Vernon and our guest this morning in the spotlight Kathy Delaney Smith the successful Harvard women's basketball coach in breast cancer survivor. And -- you know once treatment over once the hair grows back there are some women who simply want to remove themselves. Completely from quote unquote being a breast cancer survivor and and that's fine I understand that totally you have decided to share your experience why be done that."

" I talked with a lot of people who have breast cancer and other forms of cancer and I just tell them how I handled it and the feedback I get is that it makes it a little bit less scary for them. I know the fear I felt and if I wasn't -- have someone to talk to. There was a woman Cindy Stewart who was my assistant coach for a number of years her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer about. Few weeks before me she was incredible resource -- she and her sister. Read every book gave the book to me got every tape gave the tape to me. We did a lot of work before surgery so that I would recover from the surgery more quickly I will be forever grateful for her and her sister Bonnie and I have had lots of people in my life so if I can be that person and someone else's life. In making a little less ski areas and that's what I would like to do."

" It's so interesting to me because here these two aspects of your life basketball and coaching. And surviving breast cancer and basically. You're influencing people out there that you don't even necessarily know you're talking to you coach a girl for four years at Harvard. She goes on perhaps to have teaching career let's say she instructs her young women in the classroom the principles that she learned by hanging out with you and the long line of connected people goes on anonymous same thing happens when you. When you share your story."

" When I started coaching I had no idea here because there's no formal education to be coached. I had no -- dear how big a role coaches play in people's lives. I look at. Teachers I look at principles and I don't think you can name one other. Educator in use lives that impact them or spend more time with them to the point of this is I wasn't ready. To be there psychiatrist your mother the F father of their confidant different. I had a couple of nice out of bonds plays in a nice fast break. That's really all I was ready to do so when I sat down with fifteen year old kid crying in my office. Telling me that I ruined her life because I yelled at her yesterday. That blew me away. Because there is no education I had that taught me. How to deal with. All that coaches have to deal with its amazing the impact to coaches have I think it's the most important. Educational facet and I think. Colleges and high schools and youth organizations and recreation need to get controls. Because it's impacting lives at a degree that's phenomenal. And I bet these young woman definitely keep in touch and here he added to that he -- it the nice thing about getting cancer if you can say that I don't know if I should be saying man. The nice thing about getting cancer is a lot of people who don't take the time to say. Hey you remember that day that was really important to me and thank you for doing this. I got people thanking me and delivering a homemade loaf of bread to my home with a note you know have a scrapbook huge scrapbook and -- people that just thanked me or. You know so I loved your jokes I loved your humor and -- means a lot you mean discussed doing your. You know spending a year trying to steal from cancer. Yeah a little card and a -- and a joke this means the world."

" Good morning thanks for tuning in the magic on this Sunday morning. This is exceptional women I gave Vernon this morning I've gone a few years in the archives back to October of 2006. To an interview I did with the very talented coach Kathy Delaney Smith. You have been very successful in your life in many many ways can you define success what does success mean -- you honestly."

" Isn't winning basketball games city isn't getting an award it is and having a trophy. It is all the relationships that I have trump. The young women like coach in high school to my -- to money husband Stanley to my neighbors. To sport is so all consuming."

" I would say that my inner circle as my family and the young women -- I have coached if they get it is they know that even though I hurt someone I coached some."

" By running or yelling or not playing them at Serra."

" day eventually understand that there was a purpose for that and -- An end in a reason for that that they would become better in the sport they -- become better adults and that's what it's all about for me I love."

" Of the relationships. That I -- have been blessed wins over 37 years of coaching."

" A role model to young women -- character builder an inspiration to breast cancer patient and a woman who encourages all women to take their own health. Into their hands Kathy Delaney Smith is this week's exceptional woman and I -- what brings her joy in life right now. And sure enough that sense of humor kicked him."

" To go to bed early. And I'm an older person now I know I I love my team I get very excited in the fall because it means. I'm gonna be with my Harvard women again favoring me a lot of joy -- I love coaching still I love tennis and I love my husband and son that's my world."

" And my thanks to Harvard women's basketball coach Kathy Delaney Smith for joining us as we continue to salute. Exceptional women. She joins the hundreds of women that we've given a voice to on this program now if you know somebody who has overcome obstacles beaten the odds in the toughest of times and made an impact on her community. We'd love to hear that story it's easy to get in touch on the web magic 1067. Dot com eyeing gave Vernon. Please join my partner -- Terry and me every Sunday morning at 730. For exceptional women radio portraits of women who will inspire them."

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