moving ahead in football - University of Mary Hardin

MOVING AHEAD IN FOOTBALL
In 1998, UMHB forever changed its
image. Known for many years as the oldest
college for women west of the Mississippi,
the school became coeducational in
1971 but still retained its reputation as a
“girl’s school.”
In 1998, intercollegiate football came
to UMHB, and student life was never
the same again.
At the University of
Mary Hardin-Baylor,
the moment is right for a new
football stadium.
Momentum has brought us here. Momentum will move us forward.
The Crusader football program generated
new traditions and a new sense of pride
among the students. The team was
nicknamed “The Cru” in reference to the
Crusader mascot, and the pun became the
recognized name for the team. A student
spirit group called the “Couch Cru” was
formed and quickly became known for
its game-time antics. The university’s first
marching band was organized to provide
half-time shows. The Sader Belles drill
team was formed and soon was winning
recognition for its snappy routines.
And the football team won games. Lots
of games. In the 14 seasons since its
formation, the Crusader football team has
won the American Southwest Conference
Championship 9 times and has participated
in NCAA Division III postseason play 10
times. The team has produced
All-Americans, 76 All-Region
257 All-Conference players, 8
All-District VI players, and 105
All-Conference selections.
11 AFCA
selections,
Academic
Academic
All of this was accomplished with a
modest start-up investment on the part of
the university. With the help of generous
donors, UMHB purchased the uniforms and
equipment needed to start the program. A
practice field was staked off on open land
at the northeast end of the campus, and
a large metal building was constructed
nearby to house locker rooms, offices, and
training areas for the program. For game
day facilities, the university negotiated an
arrangement with the Belton Independent
School District to use the Belton High
School stadium for Crusader home games.
The arrangement has worked well for more
than a decade. As the years have passed,
Cru football has attracted a strong following
among alumni and other Central Texans
who enjoy great football. At the same time,
the Belton ISD has experienced a significant
increase in its number of students. In 2011,
the school district announced plans to build
a second high school to meet the needs of
its growing population. The plans call for
the two high schools to share the current
football stadium, which will require the
district to schedule games on Saturdays as
well as throughout the week.
This development, plus the strong success
of Cru football, led the university’s board of
trustees to the decision that the time was
right to build a stadium. When the need
for a stadium was considered along with
other campus needs, a bold plan emerged:
to coordinate the construction of a muchneeded student union building with that of
the stadium, to create a unique complex
supporting all aspects of student life.
A study of established residential facilities led
the decision to locate the stadium/student
union complex next to the Frank and Sue
Mayborn Campus Center, which houses
the university arena as well as a recreation
gym, a pool, and the student fitness center.
The location places the stadium and the
student union’s dining and meeting facilities
at the center of all the campus residence
halls, creating a student activity zone within
easy walking distance of any apartment or
dorm room on campus.
Crusader football has come a long way in
a very short time, and it is clear that The
Cru’s winning traditions have become an
important part of campus life at UMHB.
The momentum of the program’s success
has made the Mary Hardin-Baylor name
a recognized one across the U.S., and the
creation of a unique stadium complex
is certain to move Cru football and
UMHB campus life to exciting new levels
of prominence.
THE MISSION
Crusader Athletics is dedicated to
the academic and athletic success of
our student athletes as well as their
physical, emotional, and social well
being. Specifically our purpose is
focused on three interrelated areas:
Student Athletes — Provide opportunities and support for UMHB
student athletes to achieve academically
and athletically at the highest level and
provide programming and resources
that help prepare them with skills
for life.
University Community — Operate
with quality and integrity in our role
as a focal point for school identity
and spirit.
Central Texas Community — Support
the community through public service
and be a source of pride and entertainment by representing the local area with
a successful athletic program.
As a pre-med student with a major in
psychology, Matt Bush excelled in his studies as well as in football. In 2004 he became
the first player in the American Southwest
Conference to be selected as an Academic
All-American, by ESPN The Magazine, and
the Boomer Esiaison Foundation awarded
him the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s
top center in Division III football. “The huge
highlight of that year was being a team captain, walking on the field when we played
for the national championship,” he recalls.
He assumed that football would eventually become a footnote to a graduate
degree in medicine, but the coaches he
encountered at UMHB made a strong impression on him. “In a small program, you
get to know the coaches, and I developed
a lot of respect for Coach Fredenburg and
his staff,” Matt says. “They are good men,
and they taught us to be good men, too. I
don’t know that we have enough of that
today; it’s definitely something that sets
the UMHB program apart.”
Matt also worked as a youth intern at
Temple Bible Church as he was finishing up
his degree. He felt a strong calling to work
with young people, a conviction that eventually led to his pulling his application to
graduate school and taking a job as a high
school teacher and coach.
Matt Bush, Class of 2005
WE ARE PREPARING
ORDINARY PEOPLE FOR
EXTRAORDINARY LIVES,
AND WITH EACH LIFE
THAT IS CHANGED, THE
MOMENTUM GROWS.
Today Matt teaches physics at Allen High
School, one of the top high schools in
Texas, where 4,000 students attend classes.
He serves as a faculty team leader for physics and coaches the offensive line in football
as well as shotput during track season.
“I feel like what I’m doing is a calling and
a ministry,” Matt says. “It gives me the opportunity to impact the lives of young men.
With the time they spend at school, we
actually see most of them more than their
parents do. The guys know they can come
to me when they need a deeper conversation about things that are going on in their
lives. Sure, we want to win football games,
but if I can steer them toward the right path
and show them what being a young man is
really about, then that’s even better.”
THE PHILOSOPHY
The Crusader football coaching staff
has developed a program that has
become a model nationwide, exemplifying the Division III philosophy
of “student first, athlete second.” The
football program reflects the UMHB
athletic program’s commitment to
excellence in three interrelated areas:
Head Coach Pete Fredenburg and Caleb Moore
Much of UMHB’s football success can be
traced to the hiring of the program’s first
and only head coach, Pete Fredenburg.
Fredenburg came to UMHB as a seasoned
coach, with successful stints at Baylor
University, Louisiana State University,
and Louisiana Tech. He hand-picked a
group of coaches who not only knew
how to win games but also understood
the importance of teaching players about
integrity and hard work—both on the field
and in the classroom. Under Fredenburg’s
direction, The Cru has earned a 133-3
record in 14 seasons.
At UMHB, our beliefs shape our actions.
Individual excellence — Crusader
football players learn from their first day of
practice that they are expected to work hard
both on and off the field. Their academic
progress is monitored regularly through
“Grades First,” an early warning system
which allows professors to report poor
performance. When reports of problems
come through, coaches and advisors get
the low-performing athletes involved in
study groups and tutoring. Team rules
must be obeyed without exception; players
who are not meeting the expectations for
personal behavior must go before a Unity
Council made up of respected older players
and abide by whatever penalties that
group may impose. Each of the players is
expected to become a mentor to younger
players as he moves through the program,
and the coaches make it clear that the
upperclassmen are expected to take a lead
in modeling the work ethic and behavior of
a Crusader.
As part of the campus community —
At UMHB, football players are expected
to be active, contributing members of the
university community. There are no special
privileges for athletes. In accordance with
NCAA Division III policies, there are no
athletic scholarships awarded at UMHB;
players must apply and compete for scholarships along the same guidelines as other
students. No special housing is designated
for athletes, so the players live in the
residence halls, intermingled with nonathletes. Cru football enjoys great support
from the student body, and the football
players show their appreciation by going to
the games when other sports are playing,
to cheer the Crusader basketball, soccer,
volleyball, baseball, and softball teams on
to victory.
As part of the Central Texas
community — Cru football players
are taught that community service is an
integral part of their activities. The players
give back to the Central Texas community
in a variety of ways, from visiting local
elementary schools and the children at
McLane Children’s Hospital Scott & White,
to participating in food drives and fundraisers to alleviate poverty and hunger both
locally and abroad. Coaches emphasize
that the attention the football players
receive as successful athletes makes them
ambassadors for the university wherever
they go, and they should always behave in
a manner that befits that role.
UMHB MISSION
STATEMENT
“The University of Mary HardinBaylor prepares students
for leadership, service, and
faith-informed discernment
in a global society. Academic
excellence, personal attention,
broad-based scholarship and
a commitment to a Baptist
vision for education distinguish
our Christ-centered learning
community.”
THE FACILITY
When the time came to design a football
stadium for the UMHB campus, the
university wanted a facility that would be
as outstanding and unique as its football
program. So the university asked the renowned sports architecture firm Populous
to design a stadium that would meet the
growing needs of the university. Though the
firm has designed such prominent venues
as Minute Maid Park and the new Yankee
Stadium, the architects were intrigued with
challenge of combining a stadium with the
student union building that the university
also needed. Under the direction of lead
architect Earl Santee, the Populous team set
to work designing a one-of-a-kind student
life complex that would reflect the values
of the university as well as the philosophy
of Crusader athletics.
Individual excellence — Just as each
player is expected to demonstrate excellence in all aspects of his life, the stadium
design reflects a commitment to using
quality materials to create an outstanding
game day experience. The brick exterior
of the stadium has been designed to complement the look of the Frank and Sue
Mayborn Campus Center next door, so
that together the two facilities present a
unified, attractive zone for campus activities. Specifications for the project call for
durable, attractive seating on the visitors’
side of the field as well as in the home
stands. Concession stands will be positioned on the concourse level, so fans
will be able to continue watching the
game while waiting in line for concessions. These details and more have been
incorporated into the design to make the
UMHB stadium a highly functional and attractive addition to the university campus.
As part of the campus — The interlocking design of the football stadium and the
new student union building reflects the
university’s approach to athletics: football
is an integrated part of campus life that can
offer a source of pride and fun for athletes
and non-athletes alike. Just as a Crusader
football player is expected to live and
interact with a wide range of students, the
stadium has been located in the heart of
the campus to encourage widespread participation in activities there. The stadium’s
design, with the student union building
anchoring the visitors’ side of the stands,
will make it possible for fans to enter the
university bookstore directly from the
stadium to purchase t-shirts and other
spirit items on game days; large windows
in the dining areas of the student union
will overlook the interior of the stadium,
reinforcing the idea that collegiate sports
are a part of student life.
As part of Central Texas — Cru football has earned enthusiastic support from
many in the surrounding communities
who previously felt no particular affiliation
with UMHB. Planners likewise expect
the new football stadium to draw more
visitors onto the UMHB campus than ever
before. “In the past, visitors could go to a
UMHB game and never set foot on the
campus,” says Vice President for Athletics
Ben Shipp.” The new stadium will give us
the opportunity to host high school playoffs, Division III playoffs, and other special
events right on campus. I can’t help but
think that, as more people see what we
have here, it will raise awareness of what
a wonderful school we have at UMHB.”
CRUSADER
STADIUM
FEATURES
• Seating capacity for more than 8,000
• Designated seating areas for the UMHB
band and the Couch Cru, positioned
over the field entrance tunnel for home
team
• Concession areas which overlook the
field, so no game time is missed during
trips for concessions
• Media suite for announcers and
journalists
• Coaches’ suite for coaches calling plays
• Elevated, enclosed area for video camera
crews to film games
Through a unique design, Crusader Stadium will
interlock with the new Student Union Building to
create a one-of-a-kind facility for student life.
• A VIP suite for entertaining special
guests of the university, with access to
outdoor seating for guests
• Score board with a 40’ by 26’ video
screen
• Chair-back seating on both sides of
stadium
• Unrivaled locker room facilities located
in convenient proximities
• Concourse-level access to university
bookstore, so fans can purchase spirit
items on game days
A cross section
of the complex
(above) shows how
the Student Union
Building will serve
as a backdrop for
the visitors’ side
of the stadium.
Primary stadium
entrances will be on
University Drive (far
left); a VIP suite
will offer seating for
special guests.
BE A PART OF THE
MOMENTUM.
Your gift toward the construction of Crusader
Stadium will support the continuing efforts
of the football program to prepare young
men to live their callings, to be men of honor
and integrity in all that they do. Ben Shipp,
vice president for athletics, says it best: “The
football program gives us another tangible
way of expressing school spirit. School spirit
is nothing more than the physical embodiment of the pride that you have in your
university.”
Our development team is available to
explore how you can make a meaningful
gift in support of football through the
Momentum campaign. Naming opportunities are available to recognize those who are
special in your life.
Brent Davison
Vice President for Development
254-295-5044
[email protected]
Michael Ball
Senior Director of Development
254-295-4688
[email protected]
Kevin Fralicks
Senior Director of Development
254-295-4279
[email protected]
Gene Kimes
Director of Gift Planning
254-295-4608
[email protected]
Susan Kolodziejczyk
Director of Development
254-295-4173
[email protected]
Office of Development
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
UMHB Box 8409
Belton, Texas 76513
Michele Padilla
Director of Foundation Relations
254-295-4166
[email protected]
To make a gift online, go to
www.umhb.edu/momentum