While attending an athletic event is typically not a Smithie’s first priority on a Saturday morning, home games tend to have a good-sized cheering section of students rooting for their friends. In a recent effort to promote school spirit, there was a campus-wide vote to create a new Pioneers "spirit mark," a blue-and-white emblem to go on sports uniforms and Smith merchandise; however, this was not well-received by the student body. Regardless, students who do play sports here will find the experience incredibly rewarding and a major part of their Smith experience. Whether it’s a varsity, club, or intramural sport, participants will discover the incredibly powerful team dynamic that comes from being on a women’s college athletic team—at Smith, each is truly like a family.
Smith has beautiful athletic facilities. The Olin Fitness Center is relatively new, and the gym offers an indoor track, tennis courts, pool, and rock-climbing wall. Smith’s outdoor fields are some of the most beautiful and well-maintained spaces on campus. Even if you don’t usually play sports, intramural games between the houses in sports such as soccer, kickball, and basketball are a great way to stay active, use Smith’s incredible athletic resources, and promote some friendly intra-house competition. There are also non-student-athlete programs at the gym, such as “Get Fit Smith,” and many workout classes in the afternoons, such as Awesome Abs.