When it comes to nationwide statistics of women coaching female athletics, Penn State is fighting against the current.

While a study released last winter showed that the percentage nationwide of female coaches has dropped from 90 percent in 1972 to 48.3 percent in 1987, the University has maintained a high ratio.

"Penn State still has eight of the 12 female collegiate teams coached by females," said Dorothy Harris, a board of trustee member of the Women's Sport Foundation. "We continue to be a pace-setter and a good role model for other universities to follow."

Harris, also a professor of exercise and sport science at the University, said the nationwide trend has already had a negative impact on women's athletics. She warned that if the trend continues, female athletes will lack important role models.

"It's ironic that women are more competent in athletics now than they ever have been, yet few are passing their expertise on in the form of coaching," Harris said.

She attributed the lack of female interest in coaching to the myths that males have more sports knowledge and are more qualified for the position.

"Many think females will work harder if they are coached by a male, but females need role models just like men," she noted.

Rene Portland, women's head basketball coach, said that good athletes need encouragement, and if they do not have female role models, she explained, women's sports will suffer. Just as men have a better understandin g of men, women likewise relate better to other women, she added.

"I think a female coach is more tolerant of mood swings and has more patience than a male because she understands the pressures of female athletics," said Darnell Adams, a member of the women's softball team. Adams had a male coach in high school and now has a female coach, Sue Rankin.

Although Adams said she sees benefits in having a female coach, she said she has no preference and has not discovered any overbearing drawbacks with male coaches.

Lady Lion volleyball player Noelle Zientara had a female coach in high school, but now prefers her male coach, Russ Rose.

"I would rather have a male coach because they make you work harder," Zientara said. "They don't know how you're feeling and so they are more encouraging, even if you're having a bad day." She explained that women tend to get more emotional and are often too easy on their players.

Despite her preference, she said she does think it is important for women to continue coaching female athletics. Men have dominated the coaching field for too long, she said, so women need to continue striving for the bigger coaching positions.

The Women's Sports Foundation has been working to help women prepare themselves to compete for coaching jobs.

"(The Foundation) has been giving clinics as well as training females to be coaches and officials," Harris said. "It's important to show women that they are just as qualified for the position as their male counterparts, if not more. Males probabably wouldn't even be coaching female athletics if there wasn't equality in pay."

Harris also emphasized the importance of getting women involved in the athletic administration and the decision-making processes.

"If all the decision makers are males, the process becomes one of referring back to 'the old boy's club,' and naturally a male will get the job," she said.