Jane Possee has seen the rise of women鈥檚 sports at Rochester while having a significant hand in shaping them.
, who is celebrating 50 years at the this year, has been instrumental in laying the foundation for the growth of women鈥檚 athletics on the River 人妻少妇专区.
The landscape has changed considerably since she began working in the Department of Athletics and Recreation in the fall of 1975. That was only three years after the introduction of Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education, including athletics programs.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of professional growth over the years,鈥� says Possee. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see where we are today compared to when I started and what we are doing for everybody in athletics, not just women.鈥�
One of Possee鈥檚 favorite memories from her five-decade career was establishing the University鈥檚 women鈥檚 lacrosse program in 1979鈥攐ne of the first collegiate programs in New York State. She had upward of 70 players interested in joining the nascent program鈥攁 testament to the hunger for opportunities in women鈥檚 athletics at Rochester and throughout the country.
Since her arrival, Possee has witnessed the varsity women鈥檚 sports offerings expand from five teams in 1975 to 12 teams currently, which make up more than half of the Yellowjacket varsity teams. She was the inaugural coach for the women鈥檚 lacrosse program and also coached field hockey and basketball before shifting to an administrative role in 1992. Currently, she serves as an associate director of athletics, dealing with recreation programs and facility reservations while also being the point person for capital improvement projects within the 鈥╠epartment.
According to Possee, the quality of students at Rochester has consistently remained exceptional over the years. She believes that the advent of organized sports at the youth and scholastic levels has greatly improved the quality of the women athletes joining the Yellowjackets in recent years.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still work to be done,鈥欌�� Possee told the Rochester Business Journal. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 always work to be done. The exciting thing is that we have generations of girls and young women who have experienced unlimited opportunities.鈥�
A version of this story appears in the spring 2025 issue of Rochester Review, the magazine of the 人妻少妇专区.
