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Springfield College
Established	1885
Type	Private College
Endowment	$43,192,753
President	Richard B. Flynn Ed.D.
Undergraduates	3,621
Postgraduates	1,441
Location	Springfield (Main Campus), Massachusetts, USA
Website	www.spfldcol.edu

Springfield College is a college located in Springfield, Massachusetts, most notable for being the site of the first basketball game. It is located on Watershops Pond, approximately two miles from Springfield's downtown. There are two main sections to the campus, though not connected, and eleven sites around the United States that offer courses, especially in the School of Human Services. SHS Campus locations include: Houston; San Diego; Tampa; Boston; Manchester, New Hampshire; St. Johnsbury, Vermont; Charleston, South Carolina, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Los Angeles, and Wilmington, Delaware.

Springfield College is a private, coeducational institution that concentrates on the allied health sciences, human and social services, sports movement activities, and the arts and sciences. The stated mission of Springfield College is to educate students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to humanity — a concept defined by the school as "Humanics". Undergraduate and graduate programs reflect its distinctive Humanics philosophy.

[edit] History

Founded in 1885 as the Young Men's Christian Association department of the School for Christian Workers in Springfield, the school originally specialized in preparing young men to become General Secretaries of YMCA organizations in a two-year program. In 1887, it added a Physical (i.e. physical education) department. In 1890, it separated from the School for Christian Workers and became the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School. In 1895, it became a three-year program.^[1]

The original facilities were located on the second floor of the Armory Hill YMCA. By 1895, it owned 30 acres on the outskirts of Springfield, on Massasoit Lake (also known as Water Shops Pond) and had its own gymnasium, plus a dormitory under construction on a high point nearby.^[2]

Just a few years after opening its doors to the first eighteen students in 1885, the YMCA Training School could boast an international reputation as a pioneer in teaching and scholarship related to physical education class, sports medicine, physical therapy, physiology of exercise, biomechanics, wellness, the training of YMCA executives, and many other fields.^{[citation needed]}

In 1905, the school became a degree-granting institution.^[3]

In 1912, it took the name International YMCA College and in 1954, Springfield College.^[4]

[edit] Sports

Springfield College is world-renowned as the "Birthplace of Basketball", a game created by alumnus and faculty member James Naismith in 1891; and as the alma mater of William G. Morgan, inventor of the game of volleyball; as well as for its long-standing and close relationship with the YMCA.

On February 9, 2008 the Springfield Wrestling team achieved their 900th victory. Springfield College now joins Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Oregon State as the only schools to have achieved this milestone.

Stagg Field serves as the College's main athletic field; it was named after former coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg who briefly coached Springfield and went on to play a pivotal role in the development of modern football. The baseball team plays at Berry-Allen Field.

The College just built a brand-new PE and Wellness facility with an amazing new field house- the surface used exists in two other places- Arizona State and the Beijing Olympic facilities.

In 2006 and 2007, the school hosted the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Final Four.

The Men's Volleyball team has captured 5 National Titles since the inception of the Division III national championship in 1998, under Head Coach Charlie Sullivan.

The Springfield College Women's Basketball team of 2004–2005, made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division 3 basketball tournament.

Women's basketball, coached by Noami Graves, has won several conference tournament championships, including the previous season of 2006.

The Men's Volleyball team has captured 5 National Titles since the inception of the Division III national championship in 1998.

Springfield College graduates Rusty Jones G '86 and Jon Torine '95 participated in Super Bowl XLI as the Head Strength and Conditioning coaches of the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.

The Springfield College Women's Field Hockey Team has won the NEWMAC (New England Women's and Men's Athetic Conference) title for the past five consecutive years (2004-2008), and have been a Nationally ranked Division III powerhouse since they switched the program from Division I. A force to be reckoned with, the team has gone deep into the Division III NCAA tournament almost every year.

Springfield's Women's Swimming and Diving Team has won the NEWMAC Conference title for the past nine consecutive years (2001-2009), and are nationally ranked in Division III Conference.

Springfield's Mens's soccer team were voted National College Champions by the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association in 1946, 1947 and 1957. This was before the NCAA instituted a season ending championship soccer tournament in 1959.

[edit] Famous people

• Steve Spagnuolo, who graduated from Springfield College in 1982, was named head coach of the National Football League's St. Louis Rams.^[5]
• Dr. James Naismith — Canadian faculty member, invented basketball in 1891.
• Dr. Nancy E Gary — (ScB 1958) dean of Albany Medical College and Executive Vice President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Dean of its F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine.
• Dr. Luther Gulick — Basketball Hall of Fame member.
• Dr. Peter Karpovich — faculty member, founder of American College of Sports Medicine and historical researcher in physiology of exercise and movement science.
• Dr. Tom Waddell — alumnus, physician and founder of Gay Games.
• Mark J. Carron (attended) — did not graduate; member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1999 — present)
• Raymond Castellani — did not graduate; actor, activist on Los Angeles' Skid Row
• Wayne Granger — former Major League Baseball relief pitcher and National League saves leader in 1970
• Don Ho — Hawaiian musician and entertainer (attended for one year).
• Archie Moore — former Major League Baseball player.
• John Cena — World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star, was a college football star, a team captain and All-American center, earned a degree in exercise psychology.
• Rusty Jones, strength and conditioning coach for the Chicago Bears
• Glenn F. H. Warner — All American soccer player — Coached at USNA^{[clarification needed]} — NCAA Champions 1964 — NSCA Hall of Fame member — graduated 1933
• Mike Woicik — former football coach (1978-79) and current coach for the New England Patriots
• John Allaire — Buffalo Bills Strength and Conditioning Coach 2006 — present
• Rob Lasorsa — All American Track & Field, 1982 — Current President (and founder) of the National Throws Coaches Association — Current USA Track & Field National Men's Shotput Development Chairman (1994–present)
• Jeff Blatnick — 1984 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
• Bradley Jorgenson, head lacrosse coach at Saint Leo University
• Erin Pac — Team USA hopeful in bobsled for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

[edit] Knowledge Corridor

Springfield College is a part of the Hartford, Connecticut, Springfield, Massachusetts regional alliance for economic and cultural partnership known as New England's Knowledge Corridor.^[6]

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (January 2009)

• Springfield College official website
• Springfield College Chemistry/Biology Department
• Springfield College Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Department
• Springfield College Sport Management Physical Therapy, Physical Education, Physiology of Exercise, Movement Sciences and Recreation Department
• Three Springfield College Grads in Sunday's Super Bowl XLI
• Exercise Physiology
• The Department of Movement and Exercise Sciences, Exercise Physiology Biomechanics, Human Performance
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