William & Mary at the World Cup!

We Admit It! We love watching the World Cup here at William & Mary. Especially when the head coach Jill Ellis ’88, a William & Mary alum, is at the helm. Under her leadership, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team won the World Cup Championship in 2015, and is looking to defend their title as World Cup Champions this year.

And this year it’s looking pretty good, with the team making a resounding statement with their first three back-to-back victories of the tournament.

Right after winning the World Cup last time around, Coach Ellis returned to her alma mater to give the commencement address to the graduating Class of 2016.

Reflecting upon her experiences here, and all the speakers that came before her she said, “You know, I have done something that those speakers have not; I graduated from William & Mary. I have Tribe Pride. I have walked Crim Dell, studied in Tucker, and chowed at The Cheese Shop. I am proudly one of you, and I am thrilled to be here on your special day.”

So we thought we’d ask ourselves, what does it mean to be part of that William & Mary community? What does it mean when you put on that green and gold?

Coach Ellis and her athletes compete at the highest level in the World Cup, so do we.

It means becoming part of a strong tradition of excellence. We have 23 Division I Varsity Sports teams, with the highest number of conference championships in our league. We also have the highest graduation rate for our athletes out of any public school in the country. Talk about Tribe Pride.

Our student-athletes are smart. Through the 2017-18 academic year 187 student-athletes were elected to Phi Beta Kappa, while four Rhodes Scholars were W&M student-athletes. During the past school year, this included Paul Rowley – a PBK grad and the only NCAA basketball player in the country that was also a full-time law student.

Our student-athletes make history. William & Mary is one of only four schools in the country with not one, but two alumni as head coaches in the National Football League (NFL). Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin ’95 became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl in NFL history. Former Daily Show Host Jon Stewart ’84 sparked his athletic career as a walk-on at William & Mary where his game-winning goal in the conference championship game sent the Tribe to the NCAA tournament.

Our student athletes break barriers. William & Mary’s first Asian-American student, Arthur Matsu ’27, was the football team’s captain and star quarterback. He later became the first Asian-American quarterback in the NFL.

When Head Coach Jill Ellis ’88 was growing up, soccer was considered a mostly male sport and one where female athletes didn’t receive as much attention. Nevertheless she persisted, going from student-athlete, to national coach of the year, to World Cup winning head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

No matter what your athletic ability there is something for you. You can join a sports club where you can duke it out on the fencing stage, dance the night away with the Ballroom Dance Club, and even compete against other schools in the Quidditch team. (Did we mention our President is also a big Ultimate Frisbee aficionado?)

We’re active. Approximately 85 percent of our undergraduates are active in some athletic or recreation program. Because just like Coach Ellis, we are constantly striving for something greater, with a team of people that believes in us every step of the way.

So come join us, join our Tribe. And put your game faces on.

Jack Zhang
Assistant Dean of Admission