2020 LYCOMING COLLEGE SPRING MAGAZINE

hicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks, back in his playing days in the 1960s, was fond of saying, “It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame. Let’s play two!” Lycoming College has taken to heart the saying of the hall of fame shortstop, as it has begun to investigate adding two sports to its roster of athletic programs for the first time since 1997. With the athletic department serving an increasing role in the College’s enrollment strategy, as well as continuing to be key to campus pride, retention, and leadership, it seemed natural to add athletic programs in an effort to help the College evolve as it heads into the latter part of this decade, when the number of college-bound students is predicted to drop by nearly half a million in 2025 before decreasing further in the course of the next decade. As the challenge to find talented, committed, and driven students becomes harder, the College preemptively began work to continue to draw and retain a diverse student body. In 2018, a working group was assigned by President Trachte to study the addition of new sports, and the following year an initial proposal was presented to the Lycoming College board of trustees for consideration. As a result, the College administration is currently reviewing the feasibility of reintroducing baseball and field hockey. While Lycoming considers adding to its athletic offerings, there are already several developments in the works that the College’s student- athletes are ready for whatever the future may hold. The recent addition of a new strength and conditioning coach position and enhancements to the soccer/lacrosse field have already started to make an impact. “There have been a lot of projects that have created some really positive outcomes over the course of the last five years,” Lycoming College director of athletics Mike Clark ’93 said. “We have been able to take advantage of a new corporate sponsor program headed by assistant director of athletics Glenn Smith II ’07 that has yielded great new scoreboards at all of the venues at the Shangraw Athletic Complex. We have made some headway in making the soccer and lacrosse field one of the most durable facilities in the region, with the replacement and widening of the turf field in 2018, as well as upgrading the sound system and scoreboard this year.” “We have also been able to do some things that will undoubtedly improve the student-athlete experience,” Clark continued. “Our new strength and conditioning coach, Joe Alexander, has made strides in making all of our programs commit to initiatives that will help keep our athletes healthier and stronger. We also have initiatives that will come to bear fruit in the near future, including a student-athlete honor society, programs on bystander C THE FUTURE 20 LYCOMING COLLEGE 2020 SPRING MAGAZINE