WINNING TOGETHER
ATHLETICS DONOR REPORT 2024– 2025
A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE LYNCH
As the 2024-2025 academic year ended, we sat down with Mike Lynch, Pamela P. and Brian M. Barefoot Associate Vice President for Athletics and Athletics Advancement, for his insights on the impact of our growing community of supporters.
Babson Athletics has had many milestones to celebrate this year! Looking back, what have been some of the highlights for you?
ML: One that jumps out is the tennis national championships. I was in California and witnessed our men’s team make history by advancing to the championship round, and I also had the opportunity to see Olivia and Matia repeat as back-to-back national champions on the women’s side. I watched arguably two of the biggest highlights in Babson tennis history.
We also had a remarkable contribution from Greg Boxer for the hockey endowment, which was transformational. And men’s soccer advanced farther than any other team since 1991, as they reached the national quarterfinal round and were so close to getting to the NCAA Final Four, which was pretty amazing too. There were a lot of great things across a variety of sports.
In our tennis spotlight (page 8), the coaches talked a lot about the excitement building around the program, especially among alumni. Is that something you’re seeing across our teams?
ML: Yes. Looking at tennis with Michael and Emma coaching here, we’re going to have a real powerhouse program for the foreseeable future. And that’s engaged a lot of people. It is something that alums rally behind, which is cool to see. And across the board, we’ve had
this level of success in a variety of sports over an extended period. A lot more people seem to be taking notice. We have new donors and new alums coming to games more regularly. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle that’s been exciting.
That community energy was especially strong in this year’s Barefoot Challenge. How did that feel to you?
ML: It was amazing. The new premise of having every team attempt to achieve their very best fed right into the competitive psyche of Babson. And every team, including the smaller ones, had an opportunity to win so they went after it. That created a whole different kind of energy, and the results were astounding.
With so much enthusiasm around the program, what are you looking forward to next?
ML: One of our challenges is continuing to meet these expectations that have gotten bigger and bigger, but our coaches are up to it. They are scheduling opponents who are going to help us compete at the highest level and create more excitement because people want to see us playing the best teams. There’s this energy building around Babson Athletics, and I’m excited to be here at this point in our history.
YOUR IMPACT IN NUMBERS
3,993 DONORS GAVE $4,370,282 TOTAL
BAREFOOT
ATHLETICS CHALLENGE 2025
BEATING OUR BEST
Babson supporters came together to invest in our student-athletes, show their team pride, and make the 12th annual Barefoot Athletics Challenge our most successful ever.
Teams competed to unlock a new set of “Beat Your Best” challenge funds this year—rewarding the highest percentage increase in donor counts from past years. And with record-breaking donations, everyone benefited with funding for equipment, travel expenses, coaching, and much more.
Established by former Babson President Brian Barefoot ’66, H’09, P’01 and Pamela Barefoot, the annual challenge encourages alumni, parents, and fans to support Babson’s athletics program and student-athletes.
3,105 DONORS RAISED $472,657
TOP TEAMS:
HIGHEST PERCENTAGE INCREASE
1. Softball (2025 Challenge Winners)
2. Golf
3. Women’s Soccer DOLLARS RAISED
1. Swimming & Diving
2. Men’s Lacrosse
3. Ice Hockey
“Thank you to all of our alumni, friends, and families for your unwavering support that continues to enhance our student-athlete experience within the women’s basketball program! With your support we are able to travel out of region, have a full coaching staff, utilize top-notch film software, and so much more. A major highlight of this past season was celebrating the 50th anniversary of our women’s basketball program, which was the first varsity women’s sports team at Babson. We loved having many members of this team back, and it was really special for our current student-athletes to interact with and learn from these incredible women! The support from our alumni means the world and inspires us every day.”
Kate Barnosky
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
“This past year was our best year ever in donations from alumni. We came in second place in the Barefoot Challenge, which meant we received additional funds for the men’s and women’s golf program. Thank you, alumni!!”
Jeff Page GOLF
SUCCESS ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
PRESIDENT’S CUP WINNER
Men’s Overall Division
2ND PLACE
Women’s Overall Division 4 regular season titles
10 teams made their national tournaments 4 conference tournament championships won 7 programs (of a possible 13) advanced to their conference championship games 9 programs appeared in national polls
50TH PLACE
Division III NACDA Learfield Directors’ Cup
Men’s Soccer
Elite Eight
WINTER
Men’s Alpine Skiing
2nd Place, USCSA
National Championships; Mads Fondevik Syversen ’27, National Slalom Champion
SPRING
Women’s Tennis
Olivia Soffer ’25 and Matia Cristiani ’26, Doubles National Champions
Field Hockey
NCAA Sweet 16
Men’s Cross Country
2 NCAA Tournament Qualifiers; Anthony Rodriguez ’25 M’26, All-America Honors
Women’s Alpine Skiing
3rd Place, USCSA
National Championships
Men’s Tennis
NCAA Elite Eight
Men’s Track & Field
NCAA Championship Qualifiers
Men’s Lacrosse
NCAA Tournament
Second Round
Women’s Lacrosse
NCAA Tournament
Second Round
“The Babson field hockey donors continue to show up for us year after year, allowing us to consistently compete with the top programs in the country. Their support allows us the opportunity to travel out-of-region to compete against top teams, provide our players with the best equipment and team-building resources, recruit across the country, and maintain our part-time assistant position. Support in all of these areas contributes to our program’s overall success and allow us to continue to strive for the highest level of success.”
Ryan
Julie
FIELD HOCKEY
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Not only do Babson student-athletes excel on the playing surface, they also make a profound impact beyond our campus. This year, our varsity teams volunteered for the following:
AFTD FUNDRAISER
BIKE TO THE BEACH
BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY
FOOD DRIVE
COACHES FOR CANCER
COREY C. GRIFFIN FOUNDATION
CROSS OUT CANCER
CRUIKSHANK 5K RUN
DREAM BIG
FALMOUTH ICE HOCKEY GAME
FRESH CHECK DAY
FRIENDS OF JACLYN FOUNDATION
HARLEM LACROSSE
HEADSTRONG FOUNDATION
MADAGASCAR SHOE DRIVE
MAUI FOOD BANK
MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
MS WALK
PLAY FOR A CURE BREAST CANCER
SERVICE DAY AT DIMOCK CENTER
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
TEAM IMPACT
THANKSGIVING BASKETS
(INNER CITY BOSTON)
WELLNESS WEDNESDAY
“THANK YOU! Once again, we enjoyed an incredible year of support from you, our alumni, family, and friends. Our program continues to provide the best experience for our current players because of your generosity and loyalty. Your donations help us augment our equipment budget, hire part-time coaches to help our players’ performance on the ice, enable us to purchase nutritional needs and aid in our off-ice training. Our success is directly connected to your donations to Babson hockey. As an alum and as the coach, I could not be more proud of our current team and the overwhelming support you provide.”
Jamie Rice ’90 MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
“Babson women’s soccer is incredibly grateful for our supporters! Throughout this past year, you have provided opportunities to hire a goalkeeping coach, travel out of region to play a nationally ranked team, host a team dinner, and do recruiting travel to North Carolina. We have also been able to fund Alumni Game Day, an Alumni Night with the current team and top recruits, and our end-of-season banquet for our Babson family. Your support allows us to embrace these meaningful community connections that enrich our student-athlete experience!”
Nellie Pineault MBA’03
WOMEN’S SOCCER
COACH SPOTLIGHT
BUILDING A CHAMPION TENNIS PROGRAM
It is impossible to look at the growth of Babson Athletics today without discussing tennis. The women’s team has made headlines the past two years with Olivia Soffer ’25 and Matia Cristiani ’26 winning back-to-back NCAA doubles championships. Soffer was also selected as the women’s tennis finalist for the Division III Honda Athlete of the Year—the first in Babson history to receive this prestigious honor. It was also a historic season for the men’s team, culminating in their first NCAA Elite Eight appearance.
Babson Director of Tennis and Head Men’s Tennis Coach Michael Kopelman has witnessed the program’s growth during his seven years at Babson to date and knows how rare it is to achieve such a high level of success so rapidly.
“On the men’s side, the team had never been ranked before, and never beaten a nationally ranked opponent,” he recalls. “So for us to get to the Elite Eight this year in a short span of time is pretty incredible. And on the women’s side—for us to win the first national championship in Babson women’s athletics history was awesome. And going back-to-back is extremely rare, whether it’s Babson or anywhere else. Even before this, Olivia was the first All-American in Babson women’s tennis history. So we’ve risen very quickly in the scheme of things.”
As historic as the Spring 2025 season has been, both teams aspire to keep growing. “Seeing the men get to the Elite Eight motivated the women too,” observes Head Women’s Tennis Coach Emma Hall. “We had great success with our doubles pairing, and we want to be making it to that level as a team as well. So we’re going to keep putting our focus into the whole team, to get to that place.”
RESOURCES MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Increased support for the tennis program—and Babson Athletics as a whole—has helped propel their rapid rise. Like many of Babson’s varsity teams, expanding the coaching staff has been one of their most meaningful investments. Kopelman was originally the only full-time coach for both women’s and men’s tennis. Associate Head Coach Alan Dubrovsky was hired in 2022, and then Hall became head coach of women’s tennis in 2024. With more dedicated time and attention for everyone, both teams have flourished.
From Hall’s newer perspective, years of strong recruiting has also positioned the program for success. “It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work—going to tournaments, talking to people on the phone, all of that,” she reflects. “And I think that makes a world of difference.”
That success has been building upon itself. “As the teams have gotten better, I think more recruits are more open to considering Babson,” Kopelman reflects. “And as the school has continued to become more recognized
academically, that has certainly helped us. But whether or not the school or team is highly ranked, you still have to put in the time and work.”
The teams’ travel budget—supported by donors— has also been an important asset. “We take a big trip to California every year, and that encompasses about 25% of our match dates,” says Kopelman. “Trips like that are hugely beneficial. For Olivia and Matia, that’s where the national tournament was later in the spring. So they were able to get experience on those courts. All those little things add up over time.”
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
Both Hall and Kopelman have also been inspired by the strong bond and sense of identity in Babson tennis. Hall recalls what a crucial asset this was as soon as she arrived: “Michael and Alan did an incredible job of creating a really good team culture, and that’s hard to find. You have to put in time to build that trust with your players, and I want to continue that. I’d never been part of a
program before where it really feels like a family. They choose to spend time together—not because they have to, but because they want to. And I think that speaks volumes.”
That team bond has stayed strong post-graduation. Today, a supportive alumni community is growing and adding to the program’s energy—from recent graduates who maintain close friendships and stay in touch with the current team, to people who have rekindled their attachment to the program.
“I think the connections are lifelong and extremely meaningful,” says Kopelman. “We have players coming back to matches around the Boston area or when we go to California. When someone comes to a match, they get hooked on the team, and the energy, and the environment. It’s not like they just come once—now, any match that we have in their area, they’ll come. They’re really enjoying the success of the team. A lot of that is coming off their hard work too, and they’re excited to see the programs continue to grow.”
GRATEFUL FOR OUR DONORS
“The support we have received the last several years has really allowed us to push our program forward and compete at the highest level. Winning the women’s doubles national championship back-to-back and having our men’s team reach the NCAA Elite Eight shows how your support has helped to transform our program.”
Michael Kopelman
“On behalf of the entire women’s tennis team, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our donors. Your generosity provides us with invaluable opportunities—whether it’s traveling for our spring break trip to compete in high-level matches, wearing top-quality uniforms that help us represent our program with pride, or having access to the equipment we need to perform at our best. We’re incredibly grateful for your belief in our team and our journey. Thank you for being such an important part of our success.”
Emma Hall
HONORING A MENTOR
GREG BOXER’S TRANSFORMATIVE ICE HOCKEY GIFT
Babson’s men’s ice hockey team has a strong record as one of the most successful in the College’s history, and Greg Boxer ’07 has made a meaningful investment to ensure its continued excellence.
A goalie during his time at Babson, Boxer credits coach Jamie Rice ’90 with instilling the mindset and work ethic that shaped his life trajectory ever since. This year, he honored Rice with an endowed gift to name the Boxer-Rice Head Men’s Ice Hockey Coach position in perpetuity.
Boxer’s support will make a lasting impact on the team for generations to come. Endowed coach positions ensure budget stability and strengthen hiring and retention rates, which in turn will position Babson men’s ice hockey to continue to thrive with inspiring leadership.
“There’s no way I would be where I am in life without the mentorship and guidance I received from Coach Rice. Being able to provide this investment into the program on his 20-year anniversary was a special way to celebrate a man that I deeply respect and admire.”
Greg Boxer ’07
A FAMILY INVESTMENT IN BABSON SOCCER
Babson soccer pride is strong in the Gutiérrez family.
Maria Stanham P’22 ’25 and Camilo Gutiérrez P’22 ’25 have cheered on two of their children throughout their college careers—Maite ’22 and Matias ’25. And they all developed a deep appreciation for their studentathlete experience, which shaped their lives at Babson and beyond.
Inspired by the program’s impact on their own family, Maria and Camilo have been investing in its future through the Gutiérrez Family Endowed Soccer Fund. As the fund continues to grow, it supports the resources and activities that help both teams thrive—coaching stipends, out-of-region travel, and leadership development programs for student-athletes.
“Babson soccer holds a special place in our hearts because Babson truly became like family to us. Both of our children attended Babson as studentathletes and had incredible experiences that shaped them both on and off the field. The soccer community provided a supportive environment that went far beyond competition—it built lifelong friendships and valuable life skills. Supporting the endowment is our way of giving back to a program that has given so much to our family.”
Maria Stanham P’22 ’25 and Camilo Gutiérrez P’22 ’25
A SPECIAL MILESTONE IN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
This year, Babson women’s basketball celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special program honoring the inaugural 1974-1975 team. As the first varsity women’s sport at Babson, this was a meaningful milestone not only for the basketball program, but for the entire legacy of women’s athletics that has grown from there. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
NEW INVESTMENTS IN STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMICS
FACULTY ATHLETICS LIAISON PROGRAM
Increased support in recent years has created momentum for Babson Athletics to invest in resources that add value to the student-athlete experience. An important new addition this year was the launch of the Faculty Athletics Liaison Program—supporting student success both on the playing surface and in the classroom.
Every varsity team is now paired with a faculty member who can work with coaches and student-athletes in ways that are tailored to individual team needs. Their goal is to integrate the co-curricular athletic experience for students, from academic mentorship to professional advice to serving as a counsel if issues arise.
Formal, structured faculty-athletics liaison programs are a relatively new feature among peer colleges, and Babson embraced the opportunity enthusiastically.
“I like to think of athletics as a lab for our students to apply and test what they learn in the classroom in something they are passionate about,” says Kristen Getchell, associate professor of business communication and Karani Term Chair, who partnered with Athletics to launch the program. “What excites me is the opportunity to mentor highly disciplined, goal-oriented students and help them apply athletic skills (e.g., teamwork, dedication, perseverance) to academics. I feel like I am in a position to support their dual identity development and highlight how it contributes to our campus life and their post-graduation success.”
Whether you are an alum who still takes pride in your team, a family member, a friend, or a supportive fan, you are part of an incredible community helping to make Babson Athletics stronger than ever. Thank you for investing in our future.
THANK YOU
GO BABO!
Office of Advancement
231 Forest Street
Babson Park, MA 02457
babson.edu/giving
giving@babson.edu
781-239-4800
