Stamford Advocate November 1999
Webster's New World Dictionary defines a leader as "a person or thing that leads; directing, commanding, or guiding head, as of a group or activity." It would have been better off inserting a picture of Tanya Lowe.
"She's like having another coach'" said Mike Smeriglio, who serves in that capacity for Stamford High School's volleyball program. "She doesn't get a lot of playing time, and it bothers her and it bothers me because I like her and it bothers her because she's such a competitor. But she contributes any way she can.
Team captains are often stars in their domain, players who lead by example and thus earn the respect of their teammates. Lowe, a reserve who has appearedin 10 of the Knights 18 matches to date, is a star who just happens to excel off the court, away from the fanfare, And that hasn't diminished the luster of her shine one bit.
Most coaches cut seniors who are not going to get considerable playing time fearing they will become disruptive influences. Smeriglio named Lowe a captain.
"It was because of last year, what she displayed as a junior," he explained. "The dedication and loyalty to the program over three years. It was an easy choice."
In contemporary society the simple way out is too often the road most traveled. Commitment is now measured by card playing in the clubhouse while your team fights to keep its season alive. Want an accurate description of Tanya Lowe? Call her the anti-Ricky Henderson.
Most of Lowe's peers would have quit rather than face the prospect of too much time on the bench. She never considered it an option.
"I knew I was definitely going to try out and I knew we had a lot of returning players and that only a spot or two would be open," Lowe said. "But I wanted to help the team any way I could. I love the girls. I love being part of the team. I love being a captain. It definitely bothers me that I don't play a lot, but I want to stick with it. It means a lot to me that the girls appreciate what I do."
Perhaps the most telling example of the breadth of Lowe's reach was the way Lauren Nadro started crying when discussing her fellow co-captain. "I've known Tanya for 11 years and she's been my best friend since the day I met her," said Nadro, pausing to wipe the tears from her eyes. "She's the one on the team who has the most heart. She sits on the bench every game and she's the one who consoles us when we're down or gets on us when we need it. It means so much to us. She's just awesome."
Awesome is perhaps the most overused word in the teen-age vocabulary, yet when it comes to Lowe it falls short of measuring her commanding presence for a Stamford team that begins the FCIAC Tournament tomorrow as the No. 3 seed with a 14-4 mark.
"She'll call out people's mistakes and tell them to get to the ball earlier," Smeriglio said. "Early in the season I was looking down the bench for someone to come in and serve. She saw me and said, "Put Ali (Brander) in." She read my mind. I also thought that was the most unselfish thing I've heard of."
If every 17-year-old had Lowe's ego and sense of perspective, the world would be a better place. Certainly the sports world, where a sense of entitlement creeps up as soon as a little skill is displayed.
"I understand everyone has a role on a team," Lowe said. "My first priority is to be a captain. And if things go wrong and I have to go in cold, that's what the team needs me to do."
In a recent match against Warren Harding, Smeriglio called on his back-row specialist to go in and serve, even though that is not Lowe's strongest skill. She went in and banged out the final two points to close out the win. The smiles on the Stamford bench could not have stretched any wider.
"We had to push her off the bench to go serve," Nadro, the tears now replaced by a sparkle, said. "It was great to see. She's as much a part of this team if she plays or not. She's out there every day working her but off."
And working her teammates' butts off. Lowe is usually the one who opens the Knights' practices. "She's never complained once about her playing time," Nadro said. "She's the first person to get us going at 3 o'clock. She knows we don't start a minute late. She gets us going. She's the center of the team even if she's not on the court."
Two days ago, on Senior Night, Lowe was on the court, making just the second and likely final start of her career, as Lowe dug up every serve and turned them into consistent passes. It was her deserved moment in the spotlight.
Thirty years ago, the story of Tanya Lowe would not have even been a story. Her actions would have made her a face in the crowd, because selflessness was considered the standard rather than an aberration. But these are different times, and we can still find a moral hub in the tenets of a Tanya Lowe, even if we have to scan the sidelines now to find one.
"Her attitude has helped her have a successful season," Smeriglio said. "She could have sat back and whined, but she didn't. With parental pressures and everyone pushing you to be successful, there are other ways to be successful. This is a perfect example."
Asked what she will remember about this season 20 years from now, Lowe grinned. "Probably being a captain and how close I was to the girls," she replied. "When we win it's important and when we lose it's sad, but when we leave the court we're a team and stick together. I'm happy I stuck with it. I understand, though, that it might not be for some people."
While the Knights will be faced with the loss of their top talent next season, Smeriglio has another crater-sized void to consider. "I have coaches and players who say what are we going to do without Tanya next year," he said. "That's hard to understand unless you're part of the team, I guess."
Not really. Dominant hitters are a dime a dozen. It is the Tanya Lowes that are all too difficult to find. And replace.
Special thanks to Dave for giving us permission to reprint this article. Dave Ruden can be reached at dave.ruden@scni.com