Coming a Long Way: Guth’s Philanthropy Provides Bright Future for Women’s Basketball
10/13/2022 11:31:00 AM | Women's Basketball
“It was emotional to hear her speak. That was not that long ago. To see how far we’ve come, she’s a pioneer.” - Head Coach Megan Gebbia
When Dr. Caryl Guth was working through her bachelor's degree (1957) and M.D. (1962) at Wake Forest, the only athletics for female students were intramurals, and basketball was played under what can only be described as archaic six-on-six rules.
Each team had three guards and three forwards, and neither of those groups could cross the half-court line. Forwards were the only players allowed to shoot at the basket and each player had to bounce the ball twice after receiving a pass. Normal dribbling to advance the basketball wasn't allowed.
That was roughly 10-15 years before the trio of coaches Dot Casey and Marge Crisp in concert with athletic director Gene Hooks started organizing intercollegiate athletics at Wake Forest.
Demon Deacon Athletics now features nine different sports for women student-athletes in the NCAA, including women's basketball.
"We've come a long way, baby," Guth said earlier this month at the dedication ceremony of the Dr. Caryl Guth Women's Basketball Clubhouse.
Guth spoke as part of a dedication ceremony earlier this month for the facility — a 6,125 square foot world class facility that gives student-athletes a space to change, relax and bond. It includes an expansive 18-player locker room, multiple multimedia areas with seating, a nutrition area, recovery pods, showers and bathrooms, and hydrotherapy.
"It's incredible to see the support the community is giving us and wanting us to succeed means so much," Wake Forest Women's Basketball coach Megan Gebbia said. "Listening to Caryl, Chris (Paul) and Mit (Shah) speak about how important this community is to them, just speaks volumes.
"Having a facility like this means everything in recruiting. You need to have things like this to put you over the top when you bring players in."
As a first-year coach entering her first season leading the Deacs, experiencing the new facility with the team provided a great amount of enjoyment.
"Watching the players go through the locker room and seeing their faces realizing it's for them was just amazing," Gebbia said. "We have this, now there are things we need to accomplish. This, the practice facilities and everything this building has meant is just tremendous."
Wake Forest President Susan Wente raved about the facilities while thanking Guth for her contributions.
"Thank you so much," Wente said. "In addition to your pioneering medical work and the advocacy you've continued to support; you've also focused on improving the lives of student-athletes.
"This will help with recruitment, retention, relationship-building and with our programs' prestige. It will also help us win championships on the court. I can't wait to see what we achieve this year."
Wake Forest athletic director John Currie began the dedication ceremony thanking Wente for her leadership not only in helping cross the finish line on these new facilities, but also during the tumultuous last few months of change across collegiate athletics.
"This new president came to Wake Forest in part because of athletics and because of the way Wake Forest Athletics has fulfilled its role to serve as a rallying point for the community, spread the word about Wake Forest and to serve student-athletes who go on to become great leaders," Currie said. "She has stepped up as a member of the executive committee of the Atlantic Coast Conference in this really important time in the evolution of collegiate athletics."
After working for more than 30 years at Mills-Peninsula Hospital System in California, Dr. Guth returned to Winston-Salem to establish the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 2003. She is a member of the Wake Forest Medical Alumni Association, earned the Loyal Deacon Award in 2018 and Deacon Club Member of the Year in 2010.
During her time on the West Coast, Guth had a difficult time keeping up with Demon Deacon Athletics, but quickly got back in the swing by catching a basketball game against NC State upon her return — with Chris Paul leading the way for a Wake Forest victory.
"I almost teared up, listening to where she came from, what was happening back then and how appreciative she was," Gebbia said about Guth's journey. "She was so thoughtful in everything she did. She is someone I will lean toward off the court and gravitate toward as a mentor.
"She just embodies what you want to be as a human being. She means a lot to me. It was emotional to hear her speak. That was not that long ago. To see how far we've come, she's a pioneer."
Having funded both women's golf and women's basketball scholarships, Guth wants her new investment to help bear championship fruit.
"My dream has been to witness in my lifetime program improvements that will serve as the foundation where championships can be accomplished," Dr. Guth said. "I believe with Bob McCreary's visionary incentives, John Currie's enduring leadership team, our innovative facilities and an accomplished new coach Megan Gebbia that we are on the track now for excellence to become reality and then become morphed into championships."
Each team had three guards and three forwards, and neither of those groups could cross the half-court line. Forwards were the only players allowed to shoot at the basket and each player had to bounce the ball twice after receiving a pass. Normal dribbling to advance the basketball wasn't allowed.
That was roughly 10-15 years before the trio of coaches Dot Casey and Marge Crisp in concert with athletic director Gene Hooks started organizing intercollegiate athletics at Wake Forest.
Demon Deacon Athletics now features nine different sports for women student-athletes in the NCAA, including women's basketball.
"We've come a long way, baby," Guth said earlier this month at the dedication ceremony of the Dr. Caryl Guth Women's Basketball Clubhouse.
Guth spoke as part of a dedication ceremony earlier this month for the facility — a 6,125 square foot world class facility that gives student-athletes a space to change, relax and bond. It includes an expansive 18-player locker room, multiple multimedia areas with seating, a nutrition area, recovery pods, showers and bathrooms, and hydrotherapy.
"It's incredible to see the support the community is giving us and wanting us to succeed means so much," Wake Forest Women's Basketball coach Megan Gebbia said. "Listening to Caryl, Chris (Paul) and Mit (Shah) speak about how important this community is to them, just speaks volumes.
"Having a facility like this means everything in recruiting. You need to have things like this to put you over the top when you bring players in."
As a first-year coach entering her first season leading the Deacs, experiencing the new facility with the team provided a great amount of enjoyment.
"Watching the players go through the locker room and seeing their faces realizing it's for them was just amazing," Gebbia said. "We have this, now there are things we need to accomplish. This, the practice facilities and everything this building has meant is just tremendous."
Wake Forest President Susan Wente raved about the facilities while thanking Guth for her contributions.
"Thank you so much," Wente said. "In addition to your pioneering medical work and the advocacy you've continued to support; you've also focused on improving the lives of student-athletes.
"This will help with recruitment, retention, relationship-building and with our programs' prestige. It will also help us win championships on the court. I can't wait to see what we achieve this year."
Wake Forest athletic director John Currie began the dedication ceremony thanking Wente for her leadership not only in helping cross the finish line on these new facilities, but also during the tumultuous last few months of change across collegiate athletics.
"This new president came to Wake Forest in part because of athletics and because of the way Wake Forest Athletics has fulfilled its role to serve as a rallying point for the community, spread the word about Wake Forest and to serve student-athletes who go on to become great leaders," Currie said. "She has stepped up as a member of the executive committee of the Atlantic Coast Conference in this really important time in the evolution of collegiate athletics."
After working for more than 30 years at Mills-Peninsula Hospital System in California, Dr. Guth returned to Winston-Salem to establish the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 2003. She is a member of the Wake Forest Medical Alumni Association, earned the Loyal Deacon Award in 2018 and Deacon Club Member of the Year in 2010.
During her time on the West Coast, Guth had a difficult time keeping up with Demon Deacon Athletics, but quickly got back in the swing by catching a basketball game against NC State upon her return — with Chris Paul leading the way for a Wake Forest victory.
"I almost teared up, listening to where she came from, what was happening back then and how appreciative she was," Gebbia said about Guth's journey. "She was so thoughtful in everything she did. She is someone I will lean toward off the court and gravitate toward as a mentor.
"She just embodies what you want to be as a human being. She means a lot to me. It was emotional to hear her speak. That was not that long ago. To see how far we've come, she's a pioneer."
Having funded both women's golf and women's basketball scholarships, Guth wants her new investment to help bear championship fruit.
"My dream has been to witness in my lifetime program improvements that will serve as the foundation where championships can be accomplished," Dr. Guth said. "I believe with Bob McCreary's visionary incentives, John Currie's enduring leadership team, our innovative facilities and an accomplished new coach Megan Gebbia that we are on the track now for excellence to become reality and then become morphed into championships."
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