To say Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Margie Strait has wide experience would be an understatement.  She rides into her 12th year as athletic director on 28 years of coaching and teaching experience full of humor and joy.

Strait has coached six sports at St. Lawrence: men’s and women’s cross-country skiing, men’s and women’s alpine skiing, and men’s and women’s tennis.  In 1998, she became athletic director, helping to develop new teams, upgrade facilities and define St. Lawrence’s athletic program with gender and sport equity in mind. 

Strait’s ski teams went to the NCAAs more than any other team she was affiliated with.  She said she even traveled to Alaska with them.  However, Strait recalls when her women’s tennis team won a National Rolex in doubles competition.  The tandem was an underdog, but through her coaching strategically outplayed their opponent to a national title. 

Strait has also taught several classes in what’s now the sports studies and exercise science program, such as human growth and development and the physiology of fitness.  She taught skills classes ranging from canoeing, fencing, and squash to synchronized swimming and modern dance.  Strait also developed a personal wellness class, which became a requirement for all students to graduate.

Strait said she runs into her past students every once in a while and they often say, “We had fun in that class of yours!”  “It shows me that my classes were meaningful,” Strait said.  “I’m gratified that I made their lives more joyous.”

Strait also ran a Human Performance Lab.  She would provide individual and team testing to give a full profile on athletes, as well as faculty and staff.

Last year, Strait received the ECAC Female Administrator of the Year Award, which goes to two Division III Athletic Directors.  “I share the award with my staff,” Strait said. “This award symbolically showed the success of St. Lawrence’s individual sports and the work we’ve all done together.  I’m most proud of that.”

Strait said that she wants all of her staff to have a sense of humor.  “Work should be fun,” she said.  “Having an atmosphere of engagement with positive people sharing goals of positive development and who are having fun doing it has made my experience rich.”