UM grants Rousseau release Biddeford native found Division I basketball ‘too demanding’

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Emily Rousseau found Division I basketball too demanding during her freshman season at the University of Maine.

Now, the Biddeford native is free to pursue other avenues.

After UMaine initially blocked her attempt to relinquish the scholarship, athletic director Blake James on Wednesday informed Rousseau she has been released from her scholarship commitment.

“After continuing to evaluate the situation, I have decided no favorable outcomes are possible and that it is in the best interest of the university to release Emily from her scholarship,” said James, who made the decision Tuesday night.

Rousseau, who appealed the original decision and had been scheduled to appear Wednesday at a hearing with UMaine representatives, said she got the news Wednesday morning.

“I’m glad that they decided to resolve it without the hearing. I’m definitely appreciative of that,” Rousseau said.

She announced her intention to leave the program during a March 20 meeting with Black Bears coach Cindy Blodgett.

“I found it to be too much,” Rousseau said. “Division I was so demanding for me. I felt like I was always behind in my classes. I felt like I never had time for anything except for basketball.”

Rousseau said Blodgett seemed to be caught off-guard by the news and tried to convince her to remain at UMaine.

“Definitely, she seemed surprised and, obviously, disappointed,” Rousseau said.

“Basically, her reason for not letting me go [at first] is that she thinks I can have a big impact in the program and that I can be successful here.”

Blodgett likely would have attempted to recruit another shooting guard had she known Rousseau planned to leave. Now, she likely won’t be able to fill the spot.

Had UMaine not granted the release, Rousseau would have been ineligible to receive athletics-related aid for one year after transferring. Now, she can receive scholarship money and is eligible to play immediately.

When reached Wednesday, Blodgett declined to comment beyond what she said in a brief prepared statement.

“While our original decision was based on sound reasoning and the appropriate principles, it is simply time to move on,” Blodgett said.

“My complete focus, from this point forward, will be on next year’s team and on building for the future.”

Rousseau’s departure is the last on a list of roster changes for the UMaine women, who will return only seven veterans next season along with four incoming recruits.

Teammates Sandra Vaitkute and Magdala Johnson were given releases from their scholarships last week, even as Rousseau’s request was denied.

“I wasn’t happy about that and that’s why I made the appeal,” Rousseau said.

While that might appear to be a double standard, James said each UMaine student-athlete’s circumstances are considered individually.

“We look at each one on a case-by-case basis, evaluating the situation and determining what the best solution is,” James said.

Rousseau was a key member of the UMaine squad last season. The 5-foot-8 guard appeared in 23 games, starting 16. She averaged 8.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while playing 28.4 minutes per game.

She was pressed into service at point guard and performed admirably, but missed the last seven games of the season after suffering sprained ligaments in her right knee.

The season was a struggle for Rousseau, on and off the court.

“From the beginning, it was difficult,” she said. “I thought I would be able to adjust because freshman year is always the toughest, they say.”

Rousseau said with practice, weight training, games, individual sessions and mandatory study halls, she was overwhelmed. She no longer had fun playing the game she loves and had no free time.

“It was more like a job,” she said.

Rousseau said she did not have any conflicts with Blodgett.

After starting out as a biochemistry major, Rousseau took more general courses during the second semester to be able to keep up. She achieved a 3.2 grade point average last fall.

When asked whether leaving breaks her National Letter of Intent commitment to UMaine, Rousseau explained scholarships are actually renewable each year and that the situation changed after she signed.

“I was recruited to come here by coach [Ann] McInerney and I signed my National Letter of Intent with coach McInerney,” Rousseau said. “I committed to her program; I didn’t commit to coach Blodgett.”

Rousseau has been granted a release by UMaine to speak with three Division II scholarship programs: Assumption, Stonehill and St. Anselm. All are members of the Northeast-10 Conference.

“The way we operate our releases, in every case, we ask the individual student-athletes which schools they would like be released to,” James said. “In most cases, we’re going to grant them the release. We’re not going to release them to a school in the conference [America East].”

Like Blodgett, James said UMaine now hopes to concentrate on the program’s future.

pwarner@bangordailynews.net

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