With 80 percent of Hobart and William Smith students participating in intercollegiate sports, intramurals, club sports and outdoor programs, athletics and fitness play an important role at the Colleges. Robust and well-integrated sports programs provide students with opportunities to develop leadership and team-building skills, as well as the more inherent ability to be successful in the workplace and in life.

Those students who wish to compete at the top of their sport become a member of one or more of the 22 varsity teams, many of which are regular contenders for conference and national titles. Others engage in recreation or intramural activities for the social interaction, to stay fit or to achieve a form of self-competition. All hone their leadership skills and competitive instincts, and develop an enduring commitment to fitness throughout their lives.

Whether students play intramural flag football or follow a strict training regimen as members of a varsity team, these athletes are on stage for fellow team members, coaches, peers and others to see. Their visibility in the athletic arena is matched only by the visibility of the facilities that support them.

During the early leadership giving phase of the campaign, several important athletics initiatives were completed.

• The Bozzuto Boathouse, named in honor of Charles Bozzuto, father of lead donor Thomas S. Bozzuto ’68, was dedicated in 2003. Home to the Hobart and William Smith championship sailing team, the boathouse includes lockers and meeting space for the team as well as for the Outdoor Recreation Adventure Program.
• Lakefront enhancements, including an upgraded path to the lake, new dock and landscaping, were finished in late 2003.
• The H.J. McCooey Memorial Field received a state-of-the-art AstroTurf 12 surface in the fall of 2000. Featuring a 1,500-seat stadium, the facility was made possible by a lead gift from the family of Herbert J. McCooey Sr.
• Through a bequest by John H. Cozzens ’41, Cozzens Memorial Field was built during the summer of 2001. The full-length natural grass field is home to the Hobart and William Smith soccer teams.
• Dedicated in 2001, the John Topichak ’71 Memorial Team Room is the off-the-field home of the Hobart football and lacrosse teams and features handcrafted wood lockers and a high-tech video system for breaking down film.

Grounded in tradition and fueled by a spirit to succeed, athletics and fitness are part of the Colleges’ history and culture. While we have achieved important milestones in the early phase of the campaign, several key areas still need to be addressed during Campaign for the Colleges to ensure that athletics, recreation and fitness remain an integral part of the Hobart and William Smith experience.

Boswell Field Built in 1974, Boswell Field currently hosts Hobart football games in the fall and Hobart lacrosse in the spring. By upgrading its natural grass surface to a state-of-the-art synthetic one, the field will be able to support a variety of both Colleges’ varsity teams as well as intramurals, club sports, and summer sports camps. Additional planned renovations include state-of-the art lighting for the stadium; an expanded press box with dedicated spaces for announcers, coaches, the media, and special guests; a renovated gatehouse with a permanent ticket booth; a jogging track bordering the perimeter of Boswell Field; a berm with boxwood hedges shaped in the letters HWS on the east side of the field opposite the main grandstand; and a new pedestrian pathway to better connect the athletic fields with the main campus. Elliott Varsity House Also built in 1974, the Elliott Varsity House is home to shared locker rooms for the Hobart football and Hobart and William Smith lacrosse teams, visiting teams and officials, and the office of the Outdoor Recreation Adventure Program. A 5,700 square-foot expansion will allow for new, dedicated team rooms for Hobart and William Smith lacrosse teams and Hobart and William Smith squash teams; expanded space for HWS sports medicine; rooms for HWS coaches and a room for visiting coaches; a locker room and a sports medicine room for visiting teams; a dedicated media room; and an equipment room for year-round storage. Endowment Endowed funds provide a permanent resource for programming, equipment, facility and field maintenance, and other long-term athletics, fitness and recreation needs. A strong endowment supports our students’ healthy lifestyles and athletic achievements, and enhances the Colleges’ already exceptional athletic programming and staff. Through Campaign for the Colleges, the athletics departments at Hobart and William Smith strive to increase their endowment, ensuring program stability and ongoing viability to keep our athletics facilities and fields at their best.