SCU Softball Stadium by Russ Morris

SCU SOFTBALL STADIUM

Home for Achievement Advancement A

and

Santa Clara University

Softball Stadium— A Home for

Achievement and Advancement

Can a new sports facility significantly advance the mission of a world-class university? It can if it enhances o pportunities for student-athletes, creates a new focal point for the entire c ampus

SITUATION

family, and serves as a new

For more than a century, Santa Clara Athletic teams have represented the University

gateway to the wider community. Santa Clara University’s new

in championship fashion in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Santa Clara Softball competes at the NCAA Division I level in a sport dominated by West Coast teams. Santa Clara’s inadequate softball facilities and off-campus competition site inhibit the University’s ability to c ompete at a c hampionship level and to provide an

women’s softball stadium will do

appropriate student-athlete experience for the next generation of softball champions.

all of those things.

Lacking an on-campus home, the Softball team must travel 7 miles from c ampus to West Valley Community College for their games. This presents a major inconvenience,

Development of the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—

prevents students and other members of the c ommunity the opportunity to watch the Santa Clara team in action, n egatively impacts recruitment of highly desirable prospects, and diminishes the s tudent-athlete experience.

is the guiding philosophy of a Santa

We have developed a plan to correct these inadequacies and seek support from alumni,

Clara education, and p articipation

parents, friends, and corporate partners to build a new facility at Santa Clara University.

in intercollegiate a thletics is an

Building this facility will bring a wide range of benefits to the players, the University community, and to our Silicon Valley neighbors.

important part of that process for many of our s tudents. That is why the University is c ommitted to providing e xcellence in the student-athlete experience for all of its 19 varsity sport programs.

THE SCU STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE A positive student-athlete experience is paramount at Santa Clara University. We want student-athletes and former student-athletes to cherish their time here representing the University. Without a new facility, Santa Clara University cannot provide its softball student-athletes the high-quality experience they expect and deserve. Through participation in intercollegiate athletics and recreation at Santa Clara, students learn critical life lessons and values, including s portsmanship, discipline, teamwork, trust in others, and selflessness, to name just a few. Competing for Santa Clara nourishes their character and builds their c onfidence as they learn to maximize their potential.

The members of the women’s softball team e xemplify

potential. In addition, our unique academic s tanding and

everything we are seeking to build in our athletic

excellent athletic reputation places us in c ompetition

program. A diverse group—from all over California

with such schools as Stanford and UOP, as well as

and from as far away as Colorado and Oklahoma, with

Princeton, Yale, and Brown.

backgrounds as varied—they work together in c ommon cause. They are dedicated to their sport, yet the classroom remains their primary focus—their GPA’s are regularly 3.0 and above. They represent the University with pride on the playing field and in the community, and they strive for e xcellence in all they do.

Typically, the highlight of on-campus visits for studentathletes is a proud tour of the facilities the athletes will be using. Today, the coaches and players reluctantly show the practice field and the Community College stadium. Too often, we are losing potential Broncos to our rivals because those schools have the kinds of

Participation in sports requires numerous sacrifices on

facilities that will improve player’s skills and p roduce

the part of student-athletes, and the women’s softball

championship results.

team members face these challenges with grace and determination. However, in addition to the hardships all Santa Clara athletes face, s oftball p layers also must endure inadequate practice facilities and a distant venue for games. This has the effect of making the program less attractive while imposing a unique burden that no other Bronco team must bear. These young women work hard—and that work should be recognized and rewarded by providing them the one resource that cannot come from within themselves: a new field to call their own.

The role of prime athletic facilities in recruiting top student-athletes is well known. The opening of the Sullivan Aquatic Center in October 2008 heralded in a new era for men’s and women’s water polo at Santa Clara. Recruiting is up as our facilities are equal to—or in the case of most of our conference foes—significantly better than schools we are competing against to reach the brightest and most talented students. A new softball facility will provide a similar, e xemplary athletic centerpiece for the program, allowing us to recruit a greater number of highly qualified athletes, resulting in the same impact on the d evelopment of

RECRUITMENT OF STUDENT-ATHLETES Recruitment is one of the critical components in intercollegiate athletic success. Santa Clara w omen’s athletics is blessed with a number of n atural a dvantages: superb educational opportunities, a community in which a young woman can feel secure, and a stunning campus with a location in the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant economic centers. Santa Clara University attracts students from softball hotbeds including northern and southern California. Many top prospects are attracted to the University, its academic programs, and mission, but are turned off by current s oftball facilities. Not only is the o ffsite stadium remote, the on-campus practice area is not up to the standards of an NCAA Division I school. Good facilities are central to successful recruitment, and Santa Clara must compete with Pacific Coast Softball Conference rivals such as Loyola Marymount and San Diego to attract student-athletes with the h ighest

women’s softball at Santa Clara.

We Want

Student-Athletes and Former Student-Athletes to Cherish

Their Time Here Representing

the University.

The Santa Clara University Community and School Spirit The Santa Clara Athletics program enriches the life, character, and vitality of the Santa Clara University

As the team grows and develops, its successes will be an increasing source of pride for alumni. And games at the new softball stadium will become a place for spontaneous reunions and reinvigoration of Bronco spirit.

campus. It fosters school spirit and generates fun and

It will also be an important place to introduce potential

excitement for students, a lumni, faculty, staff, parents,

students to the University. High school students from

and fans. It builds upon existing traditions and g enerates

the surrounding area or those from farther away will be

new ones.

exposed to the w elcoming atmosphere and sense of

School spirit and student involvement are two highlights of the student experience at Santa Clara University. The Ruff Riders, Santa Clara’s student spirit group, boasts membership numbers greater than three quarters of the undergraduate population.

camaraderie that is so much a part of the Santa Clara experience. In p articular, young women who might not even be considering Santa Clara may look at the confidence, skill, and commitment of the p layers; the beauty of the field; the support of the entire University community—and see a place for themselves to build

Softball is an exciting game for players, devotees, and the casual fan—as the small, but intensely loyal group of SCU softball followers will attest. The new field will be a beautiful facility that the entire campus community can call its own. It will be welcoming to fans and a place for students to go between classes on a sunny spring day. It will be another lovely green space where students can meet, enjoy themselves, and create fond m emories of college days.

their futures.

A Call

to Action Santa Clara Softball represents SCU with style and class. Student-athletes compete at a high level in the classroom and in competition and are active in the local community. A new softball facility will help attract prospective

Our Neighbors One of Santa Clara’s core objectives is to engage the local and regional c ommunity. In

student-athletes to Santa Clara, boost school

addition to inviting kids, parents, and other community m embers to athletic c ontests,

spirit, increase on-campus opportunities for

Santa Clara Softball student-athletes are involved in the community helping to teach

community engagement, and provide the team

young girls the benefits of life and study skills.

with a true place to call home.

An on-campus facility will provide a centerpiece for community engagement through Santa Clara Softball activities. Competing on campus will bring visitors who may otherwise never step foot on the Mission Campus. True home competitions will also

Please join us by investing in the future of

provide an avenue to attract young women from throughout the Silicon Valley and

Santa Clara Softball by supporting this impor-

beyond as they visit campus to watch our student-athletes compete. Proper practice

tant building campaign. Donors may wish to

facilities will also provide a great environment for sports clinics, bringing young stars as well as underserved youth to campus. These campus visits for competitions and

honor loved ones, family, friends, their own

clinics will put Santa Clara on the radar to attract additional families and help youth set

company, or group, with a naming opportunity

aspirational goals of attending a university like Santa Clara.

such as the ones listed below.

Conclusion

Naming Opportunities

A new softball stadium will be so much more than just the site of intercollegiate

• Stadium

$2,000,000

athletic contests. It will be a new center for individual excellence, campus spirit,

• Field

$1,000,000

of Santa Clara women’s softball players. It will enhance the prospects for future

• Dugouts

$250,000–$500,000

successes—on the field of play and off—for current and future student-athletes. It will

• Batting Cages

$100,000

• Seating Sections

$25,000–$50,000

and community outreach. It will recognize and reward the dedication of generations

bring qualified students to campus who would otherwise have gone to c ompetitor institutions. And it will be a beautiful landmark w elcoming members of the entire Silicon Valley region to the campus. All in all, development of this facility is a unique opportunity to advance the mission of Santa Clara University now and for years to come.

For more information, please contact: Associate Athletic Director Fred K. Smith Santa Clara Athletics 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053 408-554-4050 email fksmith@scu.edu

SCU SOFTBALL STADIUM

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LEARNING COMMONS AND LIBRARY

BENSON CENTER

KERR ALUMNI PARK

STANTON SOCCER FIELD

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Main Entrance

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MALLEY FITNESS & RECREATION CENTER

SULLIVAN AQUATIC CENTER

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LEAVEY CENTER PARKING LOT

SOFTBALL PRACTICE

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Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053 -1400 www.scu.edu

SCU OMC-8175 07/2011 2,000