Staff Editorial
Two weeks ago, the women’s soccer team fell 3-1 to Niagara on the newly-renovated McGraw-Jennings field.
Since then, the men’s soccer team has also played on the new turf, as has women’s rugby. The men’s rugby team will follow suit with a match against Iona at 3 p.m. Saturday.
There’s even a men’s rugby night game, under the lights, against Army planned for later this month.
The $2 million project features a concrete entranceway to the field, field lights, a fence around the perimeter of the field and a turf playing surface.
The project was announced in October 2012 as part of a larger “strategic athletic plan.” While the plan was eight-fold, no part was more important to its perceived success than renovating, what had been for too long, a shell of an athletic complex.
Because of the lack of a quality drainage system, the fields often flooded, leaving them unplayable in our often-cooperative Western New York climate.
Not only is it a major relief to have a quality facility for the school’s student-athletes to perform on, it’s a point of pride that the athletic department was able to point to an objective and achieve it.
The field looks phenomenal, but many of the stated goals remain unfulfilled. The athletic department must now put the quality facility to good recruitment use.
The original “strategic plan” featured both academic and athletic goals: for each team to finish in the top half of the Atlantic 10 and finish with a 3.0 mean GPA.
This facility upgrade should be used to create a reputation for St. Bonaventure as a haven for athletes who value education as much or more than athletics.
The only way to foster that is to use as a means to recruit whenever possible.
Promote soccer games and rugby matches as much as possible. Plan tours during these events. Show prospective students the passion St. Bonaventure students exhibit toward sports teams.
Tell prospective student-athletes and their parents about the stated academics goals.
If the facility upgrade isn’t used as a recruiting tool, or a step toward improving St. Bonaventure’s future enrollment prospects, then it’s a waste. Nothing more than eye candy.
But, if used properly, it could be the tool necessary to establishing the athletic and intellectual identity the strategic plan set out to create.
The school, specifically those involved with creating and acting on this plan, should be proud of achieving one of the more difficult parts of the plan so quickly.
Now finish the job.
This editorial represents the opinion of The Bona Venture staff
