Dear Friends of William & Mary Athletics,
 
The future of Tribe Athletics arrived with laughter, stirring words and heartfelt emotion on Monday afternoon.  With the sun shining and the audience cheering, seven shovels entered the earth for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the William & Mary Athletics Complex.  That moment brought home the hard work and generosity of so many, and I want to thank all of you again who believe in us and where we are going!
 
The Groundbreaking Celebration
It was a day to remember and every person who took the podium used different words, but everyone agreed on the most important matter—with the construction of the Athletics Complex, the next great chapter of the entire W&M community begins. 
 
We heard inspiring speeches from President Katherine A. Rowe, our generous benefactors Todd Boehly and Scott Mackesy, Head Coach Mike London, All In Chair Sue Gerdelman and Kayla Beckwith, a member of our women's basketball team.  For those of you who missed it, please take a few minutes to watch the event. 
 
Highlights of the Day
Among my personal favorites from the day include President Rowe's remarks about how the entire university will benefit from this project and hearing her unequivocal support for our Athletics program.  And how fun it was to hear Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers Todd Boehly and Scott Mackesy muse about how the new facilities would have helped them when they wore the Green & Gold.  Plus, Sue Gerdelman  showed why she is the best possible leader of our All In campaign. 
 
Our two representatives from Athletics demonstrated why we work so hard to ensure a bright future for our entire department, especially our 500 student-athletes, many of whom were in attendance.  Kayla gave us insight on how the new facility will give several teams the luxury of more flexible scheduling for critical practice times. 
 
I never know what to expect from Coach London - but he never disappoints, and he surpassed my expectations on Monday.  He got the entire audience to stand and cheer.  I think a few of us were ready to run through a wall or two for him!  If you didn't have the time to enjoy the entire ceremony from the link above, this piece really hit on some of the highlights! 
 
The Next Chapter
We will remember the groundbreaking highlights for a very long time.  The celebration of starting work on phase one of our project is an important signal of our progress and a way to recognize what we have accomplished so far.  After taking a breath or two, we need to remind ourselves that we are not yet done fundraising for the project.  We are now officially entering a second phase that will reimagine the seating bowl and gathering spaces within the Arena. I'm looking forward to moving that exciting component of the Complex forward soon!
 
Ongoing Support for Our 23 Teams
With almost two months left in our fiscal year, I wanted to make sure to update you on where we stand overall and with our individual sport fundraising.  As we review our progress to date, we know there is about a $900,000 gap between funds we have raised and our FY'22 goal. 
 
We have so much momentum that it is a little difficult to come back to earth and see we are not where we need to be as a department.  But I have faith we can get there, and I am grateful to everyone who has supported us to date and those who are planning to do so before June 30.  Thank you!
 
A Powerful Moment on Campus
After the speeches at our event on Monday, the audience gathered to listen to music, play games and celebrate together.  I was struck by how many individuals from across campus had come to support us and it reminded me how important it is for all of us at the university to share in its significant events.
 
Two such events occurred the weekend before our groundbreaking, when the university hosted its inaugural Black Alumni Reunion and on Sunday when W&M held the dedication of Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved.  I was lucky enough to have joined the more than 800 people in attendance and along with them experienced so many emotions on this occasion.
 
The next time you are on campus, please consider visiting Hearth.  As you stand in front of the brick structure and read the words inscribed on it, I think you will feel the full import and impact of the memorial.  Congratulations to everyone in our community who helped bring this vital addition to William & Mary and our community.
 
Still Competing
As the Spring semester draws to a close, there's still a chance to watch three of our teams as they compete on campus.  Today, baseball begins a three-game series with Delaware and two signature track and field events begin.  We are hosting the IC4A Outdoor Championships in which our men's team will compete, as well as the ECAC Outdoor Championships that our women's team will participate in, starting this afternoon, Friday, May 13, and running through Sunday, May 15^th, at both Zable Stadium and the Stimson Throwing Events Area.
 
Go Tribe!
 
Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics