[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 150 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S4819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        TRIBUTE TO KATHRYN BERG

 Mr. ROMNEY. Mr. President, today, I rise to honor the enduring 
legacy of an outstanding Utahn. As the autumn sun sunk below the 
mountains surrounding Southern Utah University's sprawling athletic 
fields, the men's teams had finished their practice for the day. Only 
under the night sky could one group of young, ambitious, and dedicated 
women finally take to the empty field, dressed in worn, plain PE 
uniforms with hand-stitched numbers. In the collegiate sporting era of 
the 1970s, these female athletes had no access to new equipment or team 
budgets, let alone scholarships or institutional support. But they did 
have a leader. Kathryn Berg, of Heber City, UT, proudly led this group 
of woman athletes as their coach, mentor, friend, and lifelong advocate 
for gender equality across all sports at the university and the State 
of Utah. Today, a return visit to SUU must rekindle mixed emotions for 
Kathryn, both for the enormous strides made for gender equality by 
virtue for her accomplishments as its associate athletic director and 
the work still required in pursuit of that goal. The field bears her 
name.
  Despite her decorated career, measured in both awards and the 
boundless admiration of others, Kathryn Berg would be embarrassed to 
have the spotlight shone on her life and achievements. That is because 
she spent her over 33-year career elevating others into such a 
position. The athletes, families, and individuals who know Kathryn 
describe her as a humble servant to others, who worked overtime to 
provide opportunities for girls and women to participate in sports. To 
accomplish this, she educated herself in sports she knew little about 
by becoming an expert in the rules and regulations of each sport, took 
classes, and earned certifications at her own expense. She even became 
a certified gymnastics judge so she could be a better gymnastics coach. 
This enabled her athletes to reach their peak athletic and academic 
performances. An athlete herself, Kathryn played basketball and tennis 
at Wasatch High School before earning a B.A. and M.A. from Brigham 
Young University, followed by a doctorate from the University of Utah. 
She taught and coached at Richfield High School, Lincoln Junior High, 
and Orem Junior High, respectively, before arriving for a new challenge 
at Southern Utah University.
  At SUU, she served as administrator for all women's sports, including 
softball, basketball, gymnastics, track and field, volleyball, 
cheerleading, and synchronized swimming. In Cedar City, she continued 
to face down the perennial obstacles halting progress for female 
athletic programs. With no available budget, Kathryn and her athletes 
had to fundraise for their right to take to the fields and courts. 
Kathryn stitched together uniforms, spent her own money, and drove the 
team bus herself. With few female coaching mentors around, she instead 
learned as she went despite hearing ``no'' to most every request. As a 
direct result of her relentless advocacy for gender equality in 
collegiate athletics, countless student-athletes had a chance to 
compete, to succeed, and to dream.
  A giver, a selfless servant, and always present for her friends and 
family. These attributes accurately describe who Kathryn is as a person 
and what she means to those who love her, reinforced by abundant 
examples of humility over the decades. One such example transcends 
careers or athletics and speaks to the true nature of Kathryn's heart. 
In 2001, she retired from her successful administrative career in order 
to care for her younger sister, Charlotte, who suffered from cerebral 
palsy. She needed full-time care after their parents died, and Kathryn 
made sure that she was able to live life to the fullest until her 
passing in 2014.
  Kathryn Berg is a founding pioneer of gender equality in collegiate 
athletics in Utah. Her indelible legacy includes helping oversee SUU's 
ascension into NCAA Division I, helping establish the Utah Summer 
Games, and leading the creation of the Thunderbirds' enduring women's 
intercollegiate athletic program. She is aptly recognized in several 
athletic halls of fame and received an honorary doctorate degree from 
SUU. Kathryn is still active in the community, especially as the chair 
of the Daughters of Utah Pioneer Museum. She provides a scholarship to 
a senior at Wasatch High School each year and is the No. 1 fan of her 
family's extracurricular events.
  Thank you, Kathryn, for your lifetime of achievement and inspiration 
for student-athletes everywhere. Your unwavering work will continue to 
benefit untold generations of female athletes and their 
families.

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