The result of many of these early friendships,athletes say, is that students participating inintercollegiate sports tend to live together. A1989 study of Harvard houses performed by theoffice of Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57showed that before non-ordered choice, certainhouses had much higher percentages of athletes.The population of one house was 67 percentathletes, more than twice the mean, while anotherhad just 10 percent.
"I don't really know why that is," saysBurroughs. "Maybe athletes tend to be able toidentify with each other more because of thethings they go through in their different sports."
Many of Harvard's most accomplished athleteswere courted by schools offering athleticscholarships. For them, the decision to attendHarvard was complicated by finances.
Michael R. Giardi '94, second team All-IvyLeague quarterback for the varsity football teamand shortstop for the baseball team, was offered ahalf scholarship to play baseball at theUniversity of North Carolina. With thescholarship, one year's tuition at Harvard wouldhave paid for his entire education at UNC.
Giardi, who is from Salem, Mass., turned downthe offer, he says, because he was a longtime fanof Harvard sports and had wanted to attend theCollege "since I was a little kid."
"It's costing me money to go here," saysGiardi. But he adds, "When you're on scholarship,they own you. There's no freedom. [At Harvard] ifI decide tomorrow I don't want to play a sport, Ican say that."
Jennifer A. Kearney '95, a three timeAll-America runner in high school, says she had tochoose between two different types of schools whendeciding where to attend college.
Kearney, whose best event is the mile, couldhave gone to "track schools" like Villanova orGeorgetown on athletic scholarship, where most ofher life would have revolved around athletics. Butshe chose Harvard, she says, for the academics andbecause she disliked the "athletic pressure" atother schools.
"Most of my friends from the track circuit wentto schools on scholarships," says Kearney. "Senioryear, when I told them I was going to Harvard, thereaction was not 'wow' but 'why?'"
Kearney says that it has been difficult to meether own expectations in academics while improvingas a runner. But she says she has been encouragedby the record of Olympian Meredith Rainey '90, andmay train for the Olympics after graduation.
"The Olympics are well-situated," says Kearney."I have a year after I graduate to train, and Ithink I can make a big jump then."
Burroughs, from Raleigh, N.C., receivedscholarship offers from Duke University, theUniversity of Virginia and the University of NorthCarolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. His brother andfather attended UNC, but he came to Harvardbecause the school offered both a top-20 tennisprogram and a first-class education.
"The education is obviously the best you canget in the country," says Burroughs. "Going herewould probably present me with more opportunitiesoverall than UNC would."
In the end, many athletes say they participatein intercollegiate athletes for the companionshipof their teammates. That makes the longest andmost grueling of practices worthwhile.
For Kossow, his season began four weeks ago, afact which means he will have a swimming meetnearly every weekend until March, in addition tohis weekly practice.
"I enjoy competition," says Kossow, who plansto concentrate in biology or anthropology. "Youget a team feeling, team camaraderie. You gothrough a lot together. You get good friends."
Elie G. Kaunfer contributed to the reportingof this story.