The LVC intercollegiate athletics program encourages each student-athlete to develop his or her athletic abilities in an environment consistent with high standards of academic scholarship, sportsmanship, and institutional loyalty. A high priority is placed on integrating the educational and athletic experiences. The LVC student-athlete receives the same privileges in the areas of admission, financial aid, academic advising, course selection, scheduling, and living and dining accommodations as do all other students.
LVC sponsors 25 intercollegiate sports for men and women. The intercollegiate athletic experience is an important part of student life. In recent years, nearly 30 percent of the student body participated in the College’s athletic program. Our teams compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division III level. The College also sponsors club sport opportunities in women’s rugby, equestrian, ultimate Frisbee, men’s volleyball, and others.
Principles of fair play and sportsmanship are highly valued and encouraged. Service is an important element of the student-athlete experience and all LVC intercollegiate teams are actively involved with a community service project of their choice. In recent years, our student-athletes participated in the Special Olympics, Make a Wish, Military Appreciation, Relay for Life, Learn to Dream, and the Quittie Watershed Project. They have raised monies and donated their time to various other local charities.
State-of-the-art facilities have been created for every aspect of the athletic experience. In recent years, the College built or renovated many of the athletic facilities. Student-athletes
benefit from having access to outstanding competition and practice venues, an athletic training room, locker rooms, fitness and training facility, and an integrated video analysis system. In 2005, the College received the STMA Collegiate Athletic Complex of the Year Award. A new state-of-the-art scoreboard, synthetic playing surface, and competition-level lighting were installed in summer 2012.
Lebanon Valley College Sports Center
The LVC Sports Center features the Edward H. Arnold Sports Center and the Heilman Center. The Arnold Sports Center is a recreational facility that contains four full-length basketball courts, convertible for volleyball and tennis. A 180-meter track encircles the arena. Also included are a six-lane, 25-meter swimming pool, three racquetball courts, and two dry heat saunas. Some courts can be used for walleyball.
Adjacent to the Arnold Sports Center is the Heilman Center, which is home to a state-of- the-art fitness center that includes Nautilus and Body Masters strength-training equipment. Cardiovascular equipment in Heilman includes treadmills, steppers, recumbent bikes, rowers, and elliptical trainers. A warm-water wellness pool, classrooms, equipment and training rooms for athletics, as well as home and visiting team locker rooms are also located in Heilman.
Intramurals and Recreation
The purpose of the Intramural/Recreation Department is to provide a comprehensive program of sports activities, fitness programs, and informal recreational activities for students, faculty, and staff of Lebanon Valley College. Approximately 40 percent of our student body participates in our intramural programs.
Louis A. Sorrentino Gymnasium
Opened in 2003, Sorrentino Gymnasium provides an impressive arena for intercollegiate competition with seating for 1,600 spectators. It is the home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams and women’s volleyball team. At the entrance to the gymnasium, the Hall of Champions displays trophies, awards, and memorabilia from LVC’s rich athletics history. In 2014, the facility was named in honor of Lou Sorrentino ’54, one of LVC’s all-time great student-athletes, coaches, and athletic directors.
LVC Athletic Complex
The 75-acre athletic field complex includes practice and competitive game facilities for 12 intercollegiate athletic programs. On the west side of the complex are the award-winning McGill Field (baseball) and Herbert Field (soccer), along with two full-size practice soccer pitches. The central part of the complex, Arnold Field, home of football, field hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and track & field, was upgraded in 2012 with a FieldTurf synthetic surface, a new state-of-the-art scoreboard, competition-quality lights, and new all-weather track. The Shankroff Tennis Center, built in 2016, is home to LVC’s men’s and women’s teams and includes lit courts for nighttime play. The two-time regional field of the year LVC Softball Park sits on the east end of the complex, along with dedicated practice fields for football, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and the 150-member marching band, The Pride of The Valley.