Friends of Skidmore Athletics Benefit and Hall of Fame Induction Sports and Recreation Mission Statement

Skidmore College is committed to a balanced and proportionate approach to sports and recreation, one in which intercollegiate competition, intramural activities, physical activity and fitness and recreation programs are all valued within the context of a liberal arts education. Athletics broadly construed has an integral place in the lives of our students both during their time at Skidmore and after. As such, sports and recreation promote goals compatible with academic pursuits and community life, including teamwork, discipline, health, camaraderie, challenge and creativity. As an educational institution, we are committed to offering a wide range of opportunities and resources to members of the college community interested in health, fitness and physical activity.

Intercollegiate Competition

The mission of the Skidmore College intercollegiate athletic program is to offer a competitive athletic experience as an integral part of a liberal arts education. Skidmore's intercollegiate athletic program reflects the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III philosophy. Consequently, the intercollegiate program emphasizes the importance of physical activity as a medium for individual development and seeks to create a challenging yet supportive competitive environment that cultivates intellectual, personal and athletic excellence. Consonant with the college's commitment to the process of active learning, the intercollegiate athletic program offers students a vital opportunity to participate on a wide range of athletic teams.

Based on the principle that athletics can bring pride in accomplishment, the intercollegiate program also provides a valuable community experience by promoting school spirit and by unifying the campus. The athletic program represents Skidmore across the state, region and country, enhancing the college's reputation in the eyes of prospective students, alumni and the community in general. In the end, the goals of the intercollegiate athletic program are to assist the student-athlete to meet challenge with determination and inspiration, hard work and dedication, to understand that it is the quality and consistency of effort that defines the outcome, and to learn that the quality of communal life is dependent in part on individual contributions.

Intercollegiate Teams

Skidmore College is affiliated with the NCAA, ECAC, UCAA and NYSWCAA. Intercollegiate athletic teams compete against Northeast-area colleges in appropriately challenging schedules and encounter teams from across the country on regional tours. Skidmore is a member of the UCAA, which provides conference play among the 10 member institutions. The college fields intercollegiate men's teams in baseball, basketball, crew, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving and tennis, and women's teams in basketball, crew, field hockey, lacrosse, riding, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis and volleyball. Consult athletics personnel for the names of head coaches and the athletics staff.

In compliance with the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, Skidmore College publishes an annual report that includes participation rates, financial support and other information on men's and women's intercollegiate athletic programs. The report is available upon request.

Recreation

Like intercollegiate athletics, intramural and recreational activities are an important part of the Skidmore experience. Students, faculty and staff have joined in a cooperative effort to provide a program that serves the needs of students of varied levels of skills and abilities. On campus and beyond, recreational opportunities abound for the individual enthusiast as well as for the student seeking group activities in intramural or club sports.

Intramurals

A thriving intramural program provides a wide variety of coeducational sports activities. Among the current intramural sports are basketball, flag football, racquetball, indoor soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and water polo.

Clubs

Students who share similar enthusiasms also join together to form activity clubs. Clubs in the recent past have focused on alpine skiing, aerobics, weight-training, hiking, climbing, cycling, polo, Kung Fu, ultimate Frisbee and men's and women's ice hockey.

Informal and Individual Activities

The Sports and Recreation Center is generally open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the school year for students and staff to pursue informal activities such as running, swimming, weight training, racquetball, squash, basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and aerobics.

Complementing the facilities especially designed for sports and recreation—the Sports and Recreation Center , tennis courts, playing fields, the outdoor athletic complex and the Van Lennep Riding Center—are the natural recreation grounds of the campus itself. Set among woods and hills and open fields, the campus is alive at all seasons with unstructured sports activity, as hikers, runners and cross-country skiers set their courses along the trails that wind through the wooded campus. Backpacking, rock climbing and wilderness weekends are popular, with the Outing Club organizing trips and providing camping equipment.

The Surrounding Area

The city of Saratoga Springs offers additional opportunities for golf, bowling, racquet sports and ice skating. Nearby areas offer a wide range of recreational activity. Located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains , Skidmore is only one hour from major ski resorts, while Lake George and Saratoga Lake are available for sailing and water sports. State parks with trails for cross-country skiing, biking and hiking are readily accessible.