Eleanor Snell's Values and Beliefs
Miss Snell wore many hats during her time at Ursinus, but namely she is known for her career as a teacher/coach but most importantly as a human being. She educated and coached so many over the years and was able to make a massive impact to all that she interacted with. This impact can be seen by the values and beliefs that she had and subsequently passed onto her students and players. It can be found that Miss Snell had a core set of values that she carried throughout her career. These core values are the ability to think and evaluate, and personal relationships. [1]
The Ability to Think and Evaluate:
Snell created a culture among her players where they were able to become “Your Self”. This discovery allowed her players and students to form their own opinions and make their own decisions. Allowing her players to find themselves taught them to affect their lives in a very positive manner. This can be seen by a quote from a Class of 1950 alumnus, who said “I think that the people involved at the time have to decide what’s best for them. It might be a wrong turn and they’re about to come back somewhere.” That somewhere is as much about time, a current or future era, as it is about creating a different kind of space somewhere in time.” [2]. Allowing her students and players to possibly fail, gives them quick learning experiences that affects how they are able to evaluate all things in their lives.
Personal Relationships:
“One student summarized her idea of Miss Snell’s philosophy by writing, “she values human life and enjoys seeing it awaken and develop” [3}. It can be seen all over the archival information, documents, images, stories, etc. that Miss Snell truly was a positive figure to all she interacted with. It was even discovered that she was deemed to be kind and understanding of all even though the other party may not be. Snell believed in the idea that human connection, which can be seen all over campus then and now.
The most compelling quote that was found to exemplify that Miss Snell will never be forgotten by the Ursinus Community is the following quote from the Ursinus Weekly, 1970 where a student wrote, “So it must be concluded that Miss Eleanor Snell is an Ursinus Matriarch who has founded and fostered important Ursinus traditions, and most of all, she has shown that a professor and a coach can be a real person [4]. This is the true exemplification of this Snell value.
In conclusion it can be said that this quote is the most simplistic, one line explanation of who Miss Snell was and what she believed, “Miss Snell coaxed all of us to think, to feel, and then to share what was within each of us, to embrace our similarities and differences, in order for us to become a team.[5]” Truly Miss Snell’s beliefs live on with the College and will not change. She has become a true hero and role model for many. She has given the college more lessons then just to be a great athlete or student but be a great human in the process.
Miss Snell wore many hats during her time at Ursinus, but namely she is known for her career as a teacher/coach but most importantly as a human being. She educated and coached so many over the years and was able to make a massive impact to all that she interacted with. This impact can be seen by the values and beliefs that she had and subsequently passed onto her students and players. It can be found that Miss Snell had a core set of values that she carried throughout her career. These core values are the ability to think and evaluate, and personal relationships. [1]
The Ability to Think and Evaluate:
Snell created a culture among her players where they were able to become “Your Self”. This discovery allowed her players and students to form their own opinions and make their own decisions. Allowing her players to find themselves taught them to affect their lives in a very positive manner. This can be seen by a quote from a Class of 1950 alumnus, who said “I think that the people involved at the time have to decide what’s best for them. It might be a wrong turn and they’re about to come back somewhere.” That somewhere is as much about time, a current or future era, as it is about creating a different kind of space somewhere in time.” [2]. Allowing her students and players to possibly fail, gives them quick learning experiences that affects how they are able to evaluate all things in their lives.
Personal Relationships:
“One student summarized her idea of Miss Snell’s philosophy by writing, “she values human life and enjoys seeing it awaken and develop” [3}. It can be seen all over the archival information, documents, images, stories, etc. that Miss Snell truly was a positive figure to all she interacted with. It was even discovered that she was deemed to be kind and understanding of all even though the other party may not be. Snell believed in the idea that human connection, which can be seen all over campus then and now.
The most compelling quote that was found to exemplify that Miss Snell will never be forgotten by the Ursinus Community is the following quote from the Ursinus Weekly, 1970 where a student wrote, “So it must be concluded that Miss Eleanor Snell is an Ursinus Matriarch who has founded and fostered important Ursinus traditions, and most of all, she has shown that a professor and a coach can be a real person [4]. This is the true exemplification of this Snell value.
In conclusion it can be said that this quote is the most simplistic, one line explanation of who Miss Snell was and what she believed, “Miss Snell coaxed all of us to think, to feel, and then to share what was within each of us, to embrace our similarities and differences, in order for us to become a team.[5]” Truly Miss Snell’s beliefs live on with the College and will not change. She has become a true hero and role model for many. She has given the college more lessons then just to be a great athlete or student but be a great human in the process.
- Cash, Robin G., "Miss Snell's Way: A Life-Affirming Organic Model Created in Sport." Eleanor Frost Snell Programs, Correspondence and Other Documents. (2002): 56-73. https://doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.15.1.56
- Cash, Robin G., "Miss Snell's Way: A Life-Affirming Organic Model Created in Sport." Eleanor Frost Snell Programs, Correspondence and Other Documents. (2002): 56-73. https://doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.15.1.56
- Gould, Harriet A., "A Study of the Professional Life and Contributions of Miss Eleanor Frost Snell to Women's Physical Education and Athletics." Eleanor Frost Snell Programs, Correspondence and Other Documents, (1974). https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/snell_docs/1
- Gold, Alan; Dunlop, Sandy; Hauser, Marc; Weaver, Jonathan; Crane, Cris; Swarr, Bob; Siegel, Jane; Shrager, Eileen; Faaet, Allen; Chambers, Charles; von Sothen, Peter; Earle, Judith; and Williams, James, "The Ursinus Weekly, February 20, 1970." Ursinus Weekly Newspaper. 155. (1970). https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/155
- Cash, Robin G., "Miss Snell's Way: A Life-Affirming Organic Model Created in Sport." Eleanor Frost Snell Programs, Correspondence and Other Documents. (2002): 56-73. https://doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.15.1.56