This story appeared in the 2021 President’s Report of Onyx Anneau.
By Karen Dyer, Vice President for Advancement and Strategic Initiatives
Growing athletics at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is about providing students with an exceptional co-curricular experience — an objective of Pillar II of the Aspire Even Higher Strategic Plan.
The plan, which includes transitioning to full membership in the National Association of the Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), provides a map for athletics programming and facilities expansion. The College began full membership in NAIA this fall as it welcomed the inaugural men’s basketball team.
“Athletics plays a significant role in our recruitment as 44% of campus students are athletes,” said Brennan Randolph, vice president for enrollment and institutional technology. “Statistics show that each athlete brings approximately 1.7 non-student athletes with them to college. As we face a nation-wide decline of college-age students in the next few years, athletics growth will continue to strengthen enrollment at The Woods.”
When the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center opened in December 2014, the College had seven sports. Since then, the number of teams has doubled to 14, including seven women’s teams, five men’s teams, and two coeducational equestrian teams. The strategic plan calls for one or two new teams added annually, with sprint football and men’s volleyball joining the Pomeroy family in fall 2022.
“We are truly blessed to have such a strong student athletics program, where the student comes first in the equation. As an NAIA school, the coaches and athletics administrative team imbed Woods values into the program. We truly provide a student-centered experience for our athletes,” added Randolph.
With a new master plan in hand, the College is mapping the future of athletics. In addition to the Knoerle Center expansion of locker rooms needed to accommodate four indoor sports, the north end of campus has significant growth potential. The plan:
- Lays out potential enhancements for current sports, such as adding lights to the soccer and softball fields, which would extend playing time;
- Provides for a track and field complex, a new locker room complex, a new concession area and more parking; and
- Creates a vision for the next 10 to 20 years for new facilities such as tennis, baseball and sprint football.
Growing Pomeroy Pride
In 2013, the College began using the motto Pomeroy Pride as a campaign slogan for the relaunched effort to spur fundraising for the proposed new sports and recreation center.
“It became the first step in fully claiming our athletic identity,” said Dottie L. King, Ph.D., president. “Over the last decade, we have intentionally embraced our Pomeroy spirit.”
This fall, the College debuted its first-ever fight song, “Go, Woods, Go!,” which was one of a series of objectives from the plan.
“Having an athletic culture on a college campus is so important for all the students – not just the athletes. Students need to have the chance to put on their Woods t-shirt and cheer on their classmates at a game. Between the time the College stopped using the old gym and 2014, our students were missing that tried-and-true college tradition,” said King.
King shared that one of the first things she set out to do was claim the College colors.
“When I first came to work at The Woods as a math professor, I could not tell what our colors were. I saw black and gold, purple and dark blue. One day, I asked Sister Ellen Cunningham ’61 (RIP) what our colors were, and she said Providence blue. That was it. As we were opening the new gym, we also started using our blue everywhere!”
Pillar III of the Aspire Even Higher Plan seeks to raise the awareness and image of the institution — an enrollment strategy. In recent years, efforts to build athletic awareness and culture among students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and the community have included:
- Adopting mascot Onyx – both in costume and our new miniature horse;
- Purchasing and branding two buses – paid with reallocated budget resources saving the College money; and
- Launching a new athletics logo, website, app and a student fan section – The Herd.