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For Janet Judge, the court is now in session.
The 1985 Harvard graduate will test her experience as an athlete and an athletic administrator when she officially assumes her newly appointed position of assistant director of athletics at Harvard tomorrow.
Judge, who leaves her post of assistant director of operations, will join Robert Malekoff, another recent appointee, Patricia Miller, and Francis Toland as the fourth assistant to Director of Athletics John P. Reardon, Jr.
"I was elated," Judge said. "This is a career goal, and to be involved with Harvard is exciting to me."
The newest addition to Reardon's assistants is definitely Crimson-bred. Judge played soccer, basketball, and ran track while at Harvard. As the goalkeeper for the soccer team, she was a major factor in the Crimson's two recent NCAA tournament appearances.
"She was an outstanding goalkeeper," women's soccer coach Bob Scalise said, "and learned her position here at Harvard. She came to us as a center-half, but after feshman year, we asked her to become a goalkeeper."
"My athletic career at Harvard was a tremendous experience," Judge said. "I wasn't the greatest athlete, but it was definitely a positive aspect of my life at Harvard."
There was, however, one aspect of her Crimson career that wasn't so positive.
One of Harvard's finest soccer goalies ever, Judge was denied eligibility her senior year for violating an NCAA by-law.
After sustaining an injury in the Crimson's first contest of the '83 season, Judge took the spring semester off. Judge, though, traveled to Europe the following summer, violating the NCAA regulation prohibiting a player from practicing or traveling with a team while on leave.
Not Difficult
As for the decsion to enter the administrative side of athletics and not the coaching aspect, Judge said she felt that it is not difficult for an athlete to enter the administrative field.
"The only bias present is that the majority of applicants are athletes," she observed.
One of Judge's duties as assistant director will be to work with the Harvard-Radcliffe Foundation for Women Athlets, though she will deal with sports in general, not just women's athletics.
As for her limited experience in athletic administration, she said, "I have been on all sides of the fence--as an athlete, as a student, and as director of operations. I know what these administrative decisions entail."
"Athletics has always been a big part of my life," Judge said. "I went out into the business world, but the operations job was much more enjoyable."
Judge is also a strong supporter of the Harvard athletic program--one of the largest in the nation.
"I have always believed in the Ivy League philosophy since I learned it as a student-athlete."
High Standards
"Janet was a competitive individual who set high personal standards for herself and the team," Scalise also said.
Judge reinforced the words of her former coach.
"I plan to do the best I can and stay here for a couple of years," she said. "I would like to become an associate director a few years down the road."
Judge thinks the Harvard program should "continue the course it has now and maintain its same standards. The high level of national teams Harvard has is encouraging," she said.
Janet Judge figures to bring the confident attitude she possessed in a Crimson uniform to Reardon's administrative team.
But for now, she will need some time to get acquainted with her new position. The jury is still out.
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