Lehigh University Athletics
Helping others get a Gripp on life
11/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Liz Gripp, a senior sociology and social psychology major who also covers first base for the Lehigh softball team, hopes to be one of the reasons why university student–athletes tend to make wise decisions. Gripp, one of three presidents for Lehigh’s Student-Athlete Mentoring (SAM) Program, is helping to create a program that assists student-athletes in making smart decisions necessary to achieve peak performance in every aspect of their lives, and her coach thinks she is an ideal person for the job. “Liz is the consummate student-athlete,” says Fran Troyan, head coach of Lehigh’s women’s softball team. “Learning to share her insights into how to be a student and an athlete while maintaining balance in her life has forced Liz to become a more overt role model – this will only help her on the softball field and in life.” On the field, Gripp has been a model of consistency. She will be a four-year starter when the season begins this spring, having started 146 of 149 games in her career, and a two-time All-Patriot League selection. Although she struggled last season offensively, Liz had a perfect fielding season (1.000%), saving her teammates’ bad throws and continually displaying some nifty glove work. Her athletic accomplishments at Lehigh come as no surprise, as she was an all-state selection in high school, earning 12 varsity letters in numerous sports. Getting a new program up and running at a university can be a tedious process, says Gripp, who inherited the program after the four founding athletes graduated in May 2003. “Articulating exactly what you want the program to represent is a tough thing to conquer, especially when you’re setting the foundation,” she says. Gripp and seniors Emily Beil (field hockey) and Jill Kober (women’s volleyball), are working hard to help implement the vision set forth during the 2003 spring semester. “I was fortunate enough to be involved in the program in its developing stages,” she says. “The program has yet to actively involve all the varsity sports, but we are currently in the process of setting up the training sessions for select athletes who have expressed interest in the program.” Together with Beil and Kober, Gripp has helped to create a training program that educates other student-athletes about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; strives to create a safer, healthier and more enjoyable atmosphere for their teammates; and offer them a peer resource. One thing Gripp can pass along to others is her facility for time management, which she learned out of necessity as she balanced her time between academics, softball and the SAM program. “I think the great thing about being involved in athletics is that you are forced to remain on a schedule and get things done accordingly,” shared Gripp. “It is definitely about time management and setting priorities.” Fellow athlete Kober sees it differently, crediting Gripp with the will to succeed in everything she does, including her current efforts to help student-athletes manage their lives. “She stays so involved with so many of the student athlete programs here on campus,” says Kober. “It’s great to see her give of her time so willingly for others.” Gripp attributes her success largely to her family’s love, support and guidance, and hopes that her hard earned lessons will guide her throughout her career. After graduation, Gripp plans to go on to graduate school to study education counseling, where she hopes to carry with her the wisdom she’s gained through athletics. “There is often more to be learned from a loss than from a win,” Gripp is fond of saying. “Such a situation is a true test of character in my book.”
