University of Massachusets Athletics
The Softball And Soccer Complex
 |  The new Softball/Soccer Complex will be one of the premiere facilities of its kind in, not only the region, but in the country. |
April 18, 2000
By Ryan Nadeau
The Maroon & White
Books are not supposed to be judged by their covers. They should really be judged by their content. But let's face it, it's the cover that makes the first impression. The cover is the first thing about the book that anyone sees, and pardon the cliche, but first impressions do go a long way.
If athletic departments are books then the facilities would be the covers. Facilities are often the first tangible thing that fans and recruits see, the first thing they associate with certain teams. Just as the Red Sox are quickly associated with Fenway Park, so too is UMass basketball associated with the Mullins Center. And now we can add another successful program and its first rate facility to the mix: UMass softball. Down the road we will be able to add men's and women's soccer to that list as well.
The new cover for the book that is UMass Athletics will be the brand new Softball/Soccer Complex on the corner of University Avenue and Mass Avenue across from the Southwest dorms. Phase I of the project is complete, but if the cover is going to be the hoped-for eye-catcher to help sell this book, contributors are going to have to step to the plate. While the state paid for Phase I through a Title IX grant, the remainder of the project must be funded through private giving to the UMass Athletic Fund, an effort that will be spearheaded by Associate Athetic Director for Development John Nitardy and alumnus Bob Gordon, Class of '48.
The softball team celebrated the opening of its new home with a victory against Princeton on April 1. Not only does the new softball complex reflect well on the program, but it also reflects on the University of Massachusetts as a whole. The new complex stands to be the first facility that people see as they enter campus from Route 116.
Like it or not, people do tend to judge books by their covers. That's why it is absolutely essential that this facility be built in a manner that reflects the quality of our athletic department and of a university that aspires to greatness. That is why it is so important that supporters of UMass Athletics step up to the plate.
Making the plans a reality
"The softball program and the women's soccer program have both been successful on a national level and Coach Koch has done an excellent job in bringing men's soccer back," said UMass Director of Athletics Bob Marcum. "The complex will help us maintain a certain level of competition."
Not only will the complex help the programs that call it home, it will also help to enhance the entire athletic department and the university as a whole.
"A facility should make a statement about your program," said Marcum. "And it should be a positive one. I think we made one when we renovated Garber Field, and we appreciate the money and support we got from the state and the university administration. And again, we appreciate the Title IX money and the supplemental support the university gave us to get to our current point on the project, but it's important that we get additional support in order to finish the project."
The softball field is the only portion of the project that has been completed. Now, what the project needs is a financial boost in order to keep moving forward so that the remainder of the complex can be finished. The Title IX money got the softball field built, but in order to complete the facility, UMass alums, fans and supporters are needed to make the finished project a reality.
"It's very important to finish the entire project," said associate athletic director and head softball coach Elaine Sortino. "We need the contributions of private dollars. There really are no facilities I can point to on this campus, and more specifically, athletically, where the private sector has made the contributions to help have the facility completed or erected. This is a great opportunity for alumni to get involved. I really hope that everyone rolls their sleeves up and digs in and helps us out with it. It's very important that we finish this project within the next three years or we will be surpassed by many other institutions."
This project is vital to a number of our programs to keep them competitive on the national level. However, in order for the project to be completed, about $3.5 million must be raised. The easy part is getting involved. John Nitardy and the UMass Athletic Fund have outlined a number of ways that people can get involved in completing the project. There are naming opportunities for everything ranging from seat backs to locker rooms to the complex itself.
"There are a number of major gift opportunities that surround this great facility," said Nitardy. "It is a great way to get involved on a number of different levels."
One person who has gotten involved is Bob Gordon, a former University trustee and Alumni Association president. In December of 1998, Gordon wanted to give a major gift that would help improve the University. After looking into several options, he decided the best way he could help would be to give money to the Softball/Soccer Complex project.
"It's going to be a huge help to the specific teams that use the facilty," said Gordon, who is the chair of the fundraising committee for the project. "But it will also be an important ingredient to the whole University because it will be the first facility to be built at the University with private funds since the Curry Hicks Cage was built in 1931."
Gordon said he believes athletics is an important part of any university and a key component of building a national image of success.
"Athletics is an important ingredient in establishing University pride," said Gordon. "Athletics generates a lot of attention to the University, and this campus is in need of a number of new facilities."
Continuing the softball tradition
The completed first phase of the new Softball/Soccer Complex includes the state-of-the-art softball playing field, dugouts and electronic scoreboard. Temporary bleachers have been set up until the funding for permanent stadium-style spectator seating is available.
The finished portion of the project is already a great addition and gives fans and potential donors a good sense of how special this facility will be.
"It postures us to, number one, compete for blue-chip, top level athletes," said Sortino. "Number two, it allows us to play in a facility that goes hand-in-hand with the tradition of excellence in the program."
In the 1990s, Sortino guided the Minutewomen to three Women's College World Series appearances, including a third place finish in 1992, the highest-ever finish by a Northeast region team. UMass has also won 12 of the 14 Atlantic 10 softball titles. Thanks to all the success during the regular season, UMass has also been selected to host eight NCAA Regionals in the past two decades. The new facility will only enhance the University's chances of being selected to host additional NCAA Regionals.
"It will serve as the premiere site in the Atlantic 10 Conference," said Sortino. "I cannot think of one other that could possibly come close in terms of having the facilities or the projected amenities that will go with the completed project."
Yet again, the key word here is "completed." As the field stands, it is a great place to play, but the overall facility does not yet offer much more than the old field at Totman. There are no locker rooms. No press box. No permanent seating. There is only a field, dugouts, fencing, a scoreboard and an architect's renderings of what the completed facility will look like. Nothing more, except the promise of what this facility will mean to the program when it is completed.
"The facility, in terms of recruiting is extremely important to us," said Sortino. "We have a special plight when it comes to athletic facilities overall. So this at least becomes the first prong in posturing us as a Division I program that can attract the high-level competitive athlete. Schools in the upper tier, the top 15 to 20 programs, basically have all committed to new stadiums. This puts us in the hunt to remain a Top 20 program."
Without the new facility it will become increasingly more difficult for UMass to compete with the national softball powers.
"We are losing kids because we don't have facilities," said Sortino. "I can get the kids to visit, but I'm against Fresno State, Florida State, Arizona, and Arizona State. And If I'm going after blue-chip players those are the names I'm going against. With a project like this, I have a great opportunity now because they see the drawing in front of the complex. They see the first part, there is something they can see and touch in the first phase of the facility. But, if I'm still talking about the initiative four to five years from now, my credibility starts to wane."
Getting back to the top
The women's soccer program will also get a major boost from the completion of the complex. UMass has long been synonymous with success in women's soccer. The Minutewomen have advanced to 15 NCAA Tournaments and six final fours. However, success has been harder to come by the last few years.
Women's collegiate soccer grew at a phenomenal rate in the 1990s. In 1988 there were approximately 85 Division I women's college soccer teams competing in the country. Now, a decade later, there are 262 institutions playing Division I women's soccer. As the sport continues to grow, facilities need to improve to match the growth. It is a lot more difficult now to attract top recruits than it was 10 years ago.
"Having a facility of this magnitude will do a lot for us in terms of turning the corner on recruiting," said head coach Jim Rudy. "Right now we don't have anything impressive to show recruits. The playing surface up at Totman is good, but it's just not impressive.
"Aesthetically, this will be the most pleasing soccer stadium in the East," said Rudy. "The plans for this new facility are great. We really hope this thing becomes a reality soon. We're just hoping something breaks, and we can find a person, organization, or sponsor that wants to be connected with women's sports, and specifically women's soccer here at UMass. I envision us having many NCAA playoff games there."
Reaching for the sky
The women won't be the only ones benefitting from the new soccer field. The men's soccer program will also be calling the facility home, and it just may be the boost the program is looking for.
"It can only help our program," said head coach Sam Koch. "It will help us to attract some top teams to come play us here. Going by the plans, it will be one of the top facilities in the Northeast."
Once completed, it would give the Minutemen the premiere soccer facility in the conference.
"Obviously, it will be a big boost for the program to have a state-of-the-art facility to play in," said Koch. "It will bring our program to a new level."
Teams who play in first-rate, soccer-only complexes have a distinct advantage. Recruits see those facilities and immediately associate them with support from the athletic department and the university.
"We will be able to be looked at with the UConns, the Clemsons and the South Carolinas, who all have soccer specific stadiums," said Koch.
Making a statement
There is no doubting the plan. All who have seen it agree. It is going to be one of the premiere facilities of its kind in, not only the region, but in the country. It will make a statement about how important athletics are to this administration and this university. It will be a great facility to showcase the support the students, the fans and the community have for our athletic teams.
The facility will also welcome visitors to the campus off of Route 116. Along with the towers of Southwest and the Mullins Center, the softball/soccer complex will help form many people's first impressions of this institution.
Completing a project of this magnitude takes a lot of effort from a lot of different people. But in the end, it all comes down to teamwork. And it's a team that we all belong to. When the last nail is hammered in to complete this project, we'll be able to close the last chapter and look at a wonderful cover to a great book that is UMass athletics.