Caitlin (Williams) Dallmeyer can relate to recent Vanderbilt soccer player-turned football kicker Sarah Fuller. Although their stories are significantly different (and happened nearly two decades apart), they both have an important similarity — playing on a boys’/men’s team.
Both have done more than just put on cleats and compete on the field. They represent breaking down barriers, specifically gender barriers.
“It’s inspiring to see Sarah Fuller's story, and I hope in the future, we continue to see many more just like it,” Dallmeyer said. “But I also think it’s important to recognize the criticism her story has brought. To me, it shows the extent of the work that still needs to be done.
“What I admire most about Sarah is the strength she showed to rise above the critics in order to continue giving her best to her team. I wish for every female who begins to break down gender barriers that they have the strength to deal with the aftermath that may come with it.”
This fall, Fuller took advantage of an opportunity to kick for the Commodores when COVID-19 created a need. Dallmeyer, who is now the head field hockey coach at Lehigh, created change when she played boys’ high school lacrosse at St. Thomas Aquinas (N.H.) from 2001-02.
“Making the choice to go to Catholic school as opposed to our local public school was about having some more opportunities, and one of those was certainly around sports,” she said. “I had played field hockey my freshman year, then moving into the spring semester, I was interested in playing lacrosse. However, they didn’t have a girls’ lacrosse program.”
Instead of sitting back, Dallmeyer asked questions.
“They did have a boys’ team that had been successful and established for several years,” she said. “I was told there wasn’t enough interest to create a girls’ team. Having a lot of interest myself, I thought I could get enough other female students to develop a team. I created a petition and had plenty of people sign it.”
Dallmeyer received about 40 signatures, but the effort went for naught.
“I discussed it with my parents,” she said. “My parents are big believers in trying to create change where you feel it might be needed, so they encouraged me to — if I didn’t have the opportunity to play girls’ lacrosse, but still wanted to play the sport — try boys’ lacrosse.”
Dallmeyer was nervous, but forged ahead.
“Because of Title IX, they didn’t offer an opportunity to play for females, so they had to allow me the opportunity to play on the boys’ team," she said. “I was able to recruit some of my female friends. I was definitely pushed far outside my comfort zone and grew a lot through the experience.”
Dallmeyer dealt with plenty of critiques sent her way, but couldn’t speak more highly of head coach Barry Katz, saying that he “made me feel welcome and worked hard to create an inclusive environment.”
“The times in which I felt uncomfortable were often game play, playing other teams, and some of the parents on our own team weren’t as welcoming as they could have been because they weren’t thrilled I may have been taking time away from others on the field — or that their sons had to play on the field with a female. That part was hard.”
That said, Dallmeyer said her experience was mostly positive overall. Katz always felt culture was the most important part of establishing and maintaining excellence as a program.
“Our culture of inclusion and ‘team-first’ was drilled as much as split dodges and offensive sets,” he said. “The reason Caitlin enjoyed success and the admiration of her teammates was because she earned it.”
Dallmeyer learned that creating change is far from easy, and it takes patience to reap the benefits.
“It was one of the first times in my life I was put in a space where I was extremely challenged and had to navigate an unknown territory, build up my confidence and be my own self advocate,” she said.
That advocacy would eventually pay off, and for not just herself.