Crusader Nation

CRUSADER NATION YEAR IN REVIEW 2012 – 2013 A NEW ERA FOR HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS DEAR CRUSADERS, We are well into the fall semester and our fall sports teams are halfway through the season. I hope you have had the opportunity to visit campus to cheer on your favorite team or attend an away match to support our Holy Cross athletes. A dedicated Crusader athletics fan myself, I have the privilege of serving as the Chair of the Athletics Committee of the Board of Trustees. It is in that role that I write this letter—to both update you on conversations taking place about the future of our athletics program at Holy Cross and to ask for your continued support of our student-athletes, coaches and programs. The Board of Trustees met on campus on Sept. 6-7 and the Athletic Committee had a very full agenda. Most importantly, the Committee and the Board reaffirmed our commitment to a strong Division 1 athletics program that achieves the following four objectives: • Attract superior student-athletes who are intent upon participating in varsity athletics and provide a positive experience for those students once they matriculate; • Provide a positive experience to the entire student body, many of whom are attracted to a vibrant athletics program; • Maintain and enhance the pride among and the connection to the wider Holy Cross family; and • Raise the College's profile throughout the country in a positive way, ultimately helping to grow the admissions pool, attract desirable students, and increase the College's national reputation. We all understand that our present athletics program is not adequately meeting all of these objectives and we are committed to strengthening a number of areas that will enhance the experience of all students and will help our athletics teams compete with increased success and recognition. The Board engaged in a productive session to talk about these issues and I have summarized some of our deliberations here. RESOURCES: It is critically important to provide our student-athletes with the tools they need to be successful: equipment upgrades, adequate facilities, talented coaches and travel support for team competition. Increased resources in all of these areas are critical in order to remain competitive in the Patriot League. We have made strides, but we must enhance our resources for athletics, improve the experience of our student-athletes and restore pride in our programs. FACILITIES: We recognize that improvements must be made to the indoor athletic facilities at Holy Cross in the near future. A renewed commitment to health, wellness and recreation for the entire campus community will be central to this plan as we renovate facilities and add sorely needed practice and competition space for our varsity athletes. I look forward to sharing the plans with you as they are finalized. We see this new commitment as a partnership of many communities (alumni, students, faculty, administrators and coaches) to move Holy Cross athletics from the status quo to a higher level. COMMUNICATIONS: Crusader Nation, which has been a popular publication among Holy Cross athletics fans, is going digital to reach a larger audience. This version is a recap of the 2012-13 Holy Cross athletics season that celebrates the accomplishments of Holy Cross student-athletes in the

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