Henry Fowle Durant founded Wellesley College in 1875 as an institution which encouraged young women to develop sound minds and sound bodies. To this day, the physical education requirement remains a prerequisite to attaining a Wellesley degree, and students are encouraged to participate in a variety of fitness and recreational programs. At the competitive level, Wellesley's 13 Varsity teams have dominated their conference for the past decade, and in 2006-07 they achieved an overall record of 96-58 in dual competition with 28 student-athletes achieving NEWMAC All-Academic team status and 36 student-athletes selected to All-Conference Teams.

Friends of Wellesley College Athletics (FOWCA) is a group of alumnae, parents, faculty, staff and others dedicated to the continued excellence and growth of Wellesley College’s athletic and recreational programs. FOWCA supports current student-athletes and provides opportunities for alumnae and the College community to pursue a lifelong interest in athletics and fitness.

Friends of Athletics champions varsity athletics…

• Providing additional resources for student-athlete recruitment and competitive training trips.
• Funding “wish list” items that would not otherwise be purchased, such as a scoreboard for volleyball, starting blocks for swimming, goal cages and nets for lacrosse, and an exam/rehab table for the athletic training room.

Friends of Athletics promotes recreation and fitness…

• Enhancing cardio fitness/strength training areas for campus-wide use.
• Purchasing fitness equipment for the community – gifts this year included two sets of oars for dorm/class crew boats and a tennis backboard for PE classes.

Friends of Athletics fosters connections across generations…

• Sponsoring Wellesley’s Annual FOWCA Athletics Homecoming, to be held on October 4, 2008 in conjunction with Friends and Family Weekend.
• Bringing together alumnae from different classes for fitness and friendly competition at the annual Fun Run/Walk on the Sunday morning of Reunion Weekend, this year to be held on Sunday, June 8, 2008.
• Sharing the achievements of Wellesley’s current varsity, club, and recreation athletes through seasonal recaps and weekly email updates via the “Blue Pride” newsletter.

We invite you to support the FOWCA Team and help reinforce President Durant’s founding vision. For more information, contact Mindy Mangels at 781-283-2017 or mmangels@wellesley.edu....GO BLUE!!!

Friends of Wellesley College Athletics
Created: September 2002
Last Modified: 31-Jan-2008
Expires: permanent