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January 6, 2006
ANDOVER, Mass.—The new year brought good news for Phillips Academy’s athletic program, thanks to a $1 million contribution from Stanley Smoyer, father of two Andover alumni. The money will be used to help renovate the boys’ varsity soccer field, which has long suffered from severe drainage problems that often render it unplayable.
This lead gift serves as a significant first step toward fulfilling the most pressing athletic facility improvement needs identified by a committee of teachers, coaches, facilities administrators, and outside consultants. The panel has developed a three-phase Athletic Fields Master Plan for consideration by the Board of Trustees. The trustees have already approved Phase I of the plan, which consists of the soccer field renovation and the installation of synthetic turf in Phelps Stadium. It will cost an estimated $2.5 million to complete this first phase.
“All of us at PA are extremely grateful for Mr. Smoyer’s generosity,” said Andover Athletic Director Martha Fenton. “This gift jumpstarts the first phase of the Athletics Field project and addresses one of the biggest needs we have, to provide our boys’ soccer team with a quality playing field. For years, now, the water problems have interfered with practices and forced us to cancel games. The varsity teams deserve to have a field they can be proud of, so we couldn’t be more pleased about this extraordinary gift.”
Smoyer, a resident of Princeton, N.J., made the commitment in honor of his sons David ’59 of Jamaica Plain, Mass., and Bill ’63, who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1968. Both played varsity soccer for each of their three years at Andover before going on to excel on the fields at Dartmouth College, from which Mr. Smoyer graduated in 1934. David was selected as a first team All-American goalie and Bill was selected as an All-Ivy midfielder during their respective soccer careers at Dartmouth.
Smoyer’s contribution, which is one of the largest single gifts ever received from an Andover parent, is specifically targeted for the soccer field renovation. In honor of the family’s generosity, the field will be named the Smoyer Family Field.
“Both Billy and I always loved soccer, and it meant a lot to my parents that we both attended and played at Andover,” says David Smoyer. “My dad is delighted to support PA and the soccer program in this way, and I’m equally happy to see him make this gift.”
Besides being members of the soccer team, the Smoyer boys were involved in other sports at Andover as well. David played one year of varsity basketball and tennis, while Bill played three years of varsity hockey and two years of varsity baseball. In addition to his father, David credits his late mother, Barbara, for their love of sports. She was an excellent athlete herself and an especially good tennis player. She was also a passionate spectator at games in which either her sons or her daughter Nancy played.
It’s because of the family’s love of sports, says Stanley Smoyer, a retired corporate lawyer and former officer for Johnson & Johnson, that he has made it a point to be a strong supporter of athletic programs. “People who participated in school sports always look back fondly on those experiences. It’s often the thing they remember most about their school years. So I think it’s important for those who’ve enjoyed sports to be supportive of athletic programs.”
Smoyer’s support of Andover’s athletic programs dates as far back as 1965, when he donated funds to create the Smoyer Soccer Cup, which is awarded annually to a member of the boys’ soccer team who, in his association with the sport, has contributed most to the team through sportsmanship, effort, and ability. Smoyer has also been a strong supporter of athletics and recreation at Dartmouth College, to which he recently committed $4.5 million for a new intercollegiate soccer facility, as well as at Princeton Day School, Mercersberg Academy, which was his prep school, and in the town of Princeton.
For Andover, that kind of support will be critical as it strives to meet the goals of the proposed Athletic Fields Master Plan. Though not yet approved by the trustees, Phases II and III of the plan call for the renovation of five grass athletic fields and the conversion of two other grass fields to synthetic turf. Before those projects can be fully considered, Fenton says, the projects of Phase I must be completed, and the Smoyer gift provides the resources necessary to get Phase I underway.
“Beginning with the soccer field makes the most sense, as it was in dire need of attention, and was, in fact, the impetus for the development of the whole master plan,” Fenton says.
Renovating the varsity soccer field will be no easy task, as it will require that all the soil on the field and all the subsurface material two to three feet deep be removed and completely replaced. During that process, a new drainage system will also be installed. Making the project even more difficult is the fact that the field is surrounded by Andover’s rubberized track, which will need to be protected during the construction process.
Over the course of the last 10 years, the school tried several less ambitious solutions to fix the field’s drainage problems, but the poor quality of the soil and subsurface material, along with the fact that the field is located in a low-lying area, thwarted those efforts. This newest effort will cost $1.25 million.
If Andover’s Board of Trustees approves a construction start during its January meeting, Michael Williams, director of facilities, will seek the necessary environmental and construction permits in hopes of beginning the soccer field renovation this summer. Otherwise, construction will start in spring 2007.
Williams expects that, once started, the renovation will take several months to complete, and then the field must sit unused for two growing seasons to allow time for the grass to grow and mature.
Bill Scott, Andover’s varsity boys’ soccer coach, in extending his thanks for Smoyer’s generous donation, said, “It is our goal and dream to create the best natural grass field of any New England prep school. The Smoyer family gift will make this dream come true.”
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