Hidden Dynasty – the story doesn’t get older, it gets better.
Ross Greenburg, the decorated documentarian, came through with what may be his best work ever in chronicling the history of Carolina women’s soccer under Anson Dorrance on the ACC Network special.
Those who live on some distant planet may have enjoyed learning how Dorrance started women’s soccer at UNC in 1979 under the implementation of Title IX when the sport wasn’t even recognized by the NCAA.
Even for those of us who have watched Anson’s ascension from the antiquated “Hut” to the Taj Mahal named Dorrance Field, there was so much to remember, appreciate and even learn.
The graininess of film to videotape over the last 40 years could not be helped but served as a metaphor for how far the sport and UNC program have come, and how much we celebrated women being urged to become great amidst small budgets and lots of creative chaos.
Sure, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Heather O’Reilly are among the stars of the show, but Greenburg captured the eccentricities of Dorrance the coach reveling in the fun of building a shoestring program into a dynasty that is far more respected than hidden right now.
Anson’s own recognition of how he had to coach women much differently than the men’s program he also led for 10 years was so moving with the backdrop of a university making that experience more poignant.
Former players all the way back to April Heinrichs through most recent All-American Brianna Pinto showed how the sport has evolved in skill level and skin color. And while Carolina doesn’t dominate the college game like it once did due to the popularity and parity he created, it is clear Dorrance cares as much for how it has emboldened women through the decades as all the wins and championships he has brought home to Chapel Hill.
From his 30s to his 70s, Anson is shown as a bushy-haired young man to a grandfatherly veteran who has built more than a dynasty at UNC. He has erected an industry by turning athletic women once afraid to admit they were competitive into national and international icons who now know they have a right to be there along with anyone else in any sport.
While money is now most important in winning in college athletics, Hidden Dynasty is a story of enduring love and respect among women who cut their teeth here and went on to take a big bite out of the sports world.
Featured image via UNC/Dan Sears
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