At St. Frances Academy in East Baltimore, the most ardent sports fan is the one on the bench in a black habit and veil. If the Panthers are playing, Sister John Francis Schilling, president of the East Baltimore school, is cheering.
"She's like another coach or a general manager on the sidelines," said Mark Karcher, boys basketball coach. "If I have a bad game, she will get on me."
Sister Schilling also keeps the stats and writes a weekly blog detailing nuances of the games.
"I keep record of the rebounds, assists, turnovers and steals," she said. "It's important for the kids who do the little things to get recognition. And I call it the way I see it."
The school she has served for 26 years dedicated its gymnasium to her Thursday. The president, at least in name, will now be on the court in perpetuity.
Administrators kept the dedication secret and kept Sister Schilling away from the gym the past few weeks as contractors replaced the worn flooring. Their task was made more difficult because the nun keeps as close a tab on athletics as she does on academics. But she conceded, "You really got me."
"There were some innocent lies," said Curtis Turner, principal of the Roman Catholic, coed high school. "We didn't even tell the students until today. We dedicate this gym to our No. 1 fan, and we celebrate everything she has done for us."
Before a crowd of students and faculty, Turner unveiled the new floor with "Sr. J.F.S. Court" painted in bold letters on the side close to the bleachers. He blessed it with holy water and words from Scripture.
"This place will contribute to our leisure activities," Turner said. "It will refresh body and mind."
Sister Schilling, who came to St. Frances as a teacher and became president in 1993, led efforts to raise $6.5 million for the new gym, which opened in 2002. Banners from championship teams hang from the rafters. For years, there had been no place to hang the banners, and those champion players scrambled for practice time in recreation centers throughout the area.
"After all these years, we finally had a place of our own," Sister Schilling said. "Everyone said we couldn't raise the money, but I know how to pitch for this school."
The gym, which is open to the surrounding community and used constantly, was long overdue for a new floor. An anonymous donor made that $10,000 project possible, Turner said.
When she addressed the 200 students at the dedication, the president borrowed a phrase from Under Armour, the Baltimore-based sports apparel manufacturer.
"We must protect this house and keep this building up," she said. "It is redone and ready for a new season. It is up to us as a community to make sure it is kept up."
mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com
