Regarding the recent article in The NCAA News concerning the dangers of vans and student-athletes ("Warning: Road risks ahead" in the August 28 issue), here's one for you:

As gymnastics coach at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and driver of the team van, we were returning from a competition with Army when we encountered snow, wind and freezing rain. We had to stop in Hartford, Connecticut -- we couldn't proceed due to the weather.

Next morning, we left for Lowell. No snow, but the ice remained. We were almost in Lowell, driving over an ice covered bridge, when the van skidded, turned sideways -- and we traveled that direction -- sideways -- down the bridge.

I slowly got the van under control while saying to myself, "If I get out of here in one piece, I resign from coaching."

Finally, I straightened the van out and came to a stop. The team -- holding on -- yelled to me and said, "Hey coach, you must have gone to skid school -- great job."

The next morning, after 25 years of coaching, I resigned. It wasn't worth the responsibility of driving my team -- too much at stake.

I retired the last day of December 1990 and that moment is still vivid.

Dick Aronson
Lowell, Massachusetts