Living History
Interview with Chris Weller

By Julie Ponting

Most of you know that Chris Weller was the second of only three coaches of the Maryland Women's Basketball Team, serving in that capacity from 1975 until 2002. But did you also know that Coach Weller called the first meeting of The Rebounders?

Coach Weller recalls the small following the team had back in the mid 1970's, and also recalls how that following began to grow a bit when the team became competitive and began to acquire a national reputation. The fans were loyal, the team was good, and Coach believed a booster group should be formed similar to the one supporting the men's team. So in 1979, Coach Weller invited a small group of people to dinner and discussed the idea. That small group was in complete agreement, they agreed to lead, and a booster club was born!

So how did the club get its name? One of the attendees at that first dinner (our very own original Rebounder, Mary Lucas!) suggested the name 'The Rebounders'. Coach Weller eagerly seconded the motion, and here's why: "Rebounding is one of the most important aspects of the game. Naming our group 'The Rebounders' was perfect to me because I wanted the name to signify how important the fans are to our program."

From its beginnings in the early 1980's, our booster club has played a role -- by design -- in the Maryland Women's Basketball program. According to Coach Weller, she and the original members wanted everyone to be able to see what a wonderful institution the University of Maryland is, and having a cohesive, family feel in the basketball program was a meaningful part of that. Since the early days, the club has held socials where all the team was present and mingled with the fans. Dinners and other functions were held in the small gym at Cole Field House, and Coach Weller says the student-athletes felt from the beginning like they were part of a family... and they always loved the Rebounders!

Another important aspect of the interaction between the boosters and the players, Coach Weller believes, is that it allows the student-athletes to see themselves as part of something bigger, yet also as individual people who are representatives of the University. How the student-athletes interacted with other people mattered, and the respect that was instilled through these interactions from early on have characterized our program. Coach Weller believes any recognition someone in the program receives is the result of all who are a part of the program.

Coach Weller has many favorite Rebounder memories, but the send-offs at the ACC Tournaments by the Rebounders and the pep band stand out for her. "Wonderful support for the team before we ever got to the gym! That was very special." Being a part of something with such a wonderful purpose is one of the best things about being a Rebounder, in Coach Weller's view.

We'll be there at the tournament again this week, supporting the team and the program we love. A huge thank you to Coach Weller for launching The Rebounders!! You did a very good thing.