As the Amherst field hockey team took the field to warm up for its game against Bowdoin this past Saturday, a beautiful late September morning, a loyal group of Amherst alums gathered under a tent at the end of the field. They gathered to dedicate the new state-of-the art synthetic field in honor of their beloved former coach and "mentor, teacher [and] friend," Peter Gooding.

It's fitting that it was a women's team set to play as the dedication took place; Peter Gooding served as Dean of Freshmen in 1976 when Amherst welcomed its first freshman class that included women to the College, and he nurtured women's sports at the College from their inception the following year as Athletic Director.

The ceremony established that future generations of Amherst student-athletes will play on a field named for a man who has embodied the Amherst athletic ideal for almost 40 years. At the ceremony, President Anthony Marx told approximately 100 students, alums and friends of the College in attendance that Gooding "reminds us of what is important" about the athletic experience at the College; he taught many generations of students about being part of a community and team, about thinking beyond oneself, and about "how to win and how to lose." But President Marx was preaching to the converted, to those who already know first-hand the "indelible mark" he has left on not just the Athletic Department, but the College as a whole. The field will be an "ongoing tribute to an incredible career," Marx told the crowd.

Suzanne Coffey, Gooding's replacement as Athletic Director when he retired from that position in 2005, welcomed the crowd to the ceremony. She told of the new field's versatility and "how right [Gooding] was to project" the value of the field to the College's athletic program at all levels of play: varsity, club and intramural. "Gooding Field stretches our capacity for play at every level," she said, explaining how it has come to serve as a "hub of exciting nighttime activity," thanks to its flood lighting. Coffey recalled that when she was athletic director of Bates College, "Peter's was the voice whom we NESCAC ADs turned to when we sought to articulate the moral high ground." She also mentioned how fortunate her son was to play for such a talented soccer coach when he was at the College. The field is a "tribute to your legacy as a teacher, mentor and coach," Coffey told Gooding.

Coffey introduced Simone Burke '08 and Taylor Downs '08, captains of the women's and men's soccer teams, respectively, who gave the audience first-hand accounts of how the field has transformed athletic life at Amherst. Burke described how the field "literally and figuratively spotlights our teams" at the popular night games, and how much her team loves playing on it. She promised they will "reciprocate [the gift] with nothing but passionate play." Downs said that all his previous soccer coaches were taught by Gooding, and called him the "godfather of soccer in America" for his influence on how the game is played in this country. He noted, however, that designation would be a "disservice to some of [Gooding's] friends." In a speech sprinkled with very amusing anecdotes of his three years playing under Gooding, Downs heralded his former coach the "finest gentleman," adding: "I can't say enough. You mean so much to all of us."

President Marx praised the field's features and how night games have created a newfound "sense of community" around sports at the College. He thanked Prince Albert II of Monaco '81 and Rob Minicucci '75, both former players under Gooding, for their incredible gift in honor of their mentor. Marx added that Gooding's wife Myra, too, has left her mark on the College through her work in career counseling and alumni relations.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jide Zeitlin '85 described Gooding as an "exceptionally thoughtful," man of "deep intelligence" and "deep concern;" a man who always carried "a sense that what was always most important is what was right for Amherst College." He elaborated on the Amherst athletic ideal embodied by Gooding, explaining that "part of being liberally educated takes place in the classroom and part of being liberally educated takes place on the athletic field ... Not many institutions in the land have found that equilibrium." Amherst has, thanks to Gooding.

Gooding kept his remarks short and sweet because, as he noted, the field hockey game was set to start in 13 minutes. Gooding introduced his family to the crowd and thanked them, particularly his wife. He also thanked the donors. Always humorous, Gooding said that even though he proposed the field, he pointed out how ironic it was that a turf field would be named for him because he prefers grass. He spoke of the strength of the Amherst program. "It sounds awfully arrogant, but I can say it now that I'm not here," said Gooding. "We know how good we are."

Alumni impacted by Gooding are pooling their memories of their mentor on the College's Web site. They tell of Gooding's skill as a coach and how he created incredible bonds among the players on his teams; others speak to how he reminded his players to remember others, to think beyond themselves to the world around them and that winning is not the best measure of success. Finally, they memoralize some of his best lessons, that you "earn your luck" and that "manners maketh the man." Many say the Parmly Billings Professor of Hygiene and Physical Education Peter Gooding was their best at the College.

Following the ceremony, the Lord Jeffs honored Gooding with spectacular performances against Bowdoin on the field bearing his name. While the field hockey team lost a hard-fought game in double overtime to the second-ranked Polar Bears, men's and women's soccer picked up key victories, as did the football team on the neighboring Pratt Field. Needless to say, if the Jeffs had not done as well, it would not have mattered to Gooding, who is known to view success as more than another tick in the win column.

Men's soccer player Rob Denious '10 says his team loves playing on the new surface and that "it's great to have an alternative surface," especially one named for the man he calls a "great person and great coach." He recalls that last year's highly anticipated matchup against rival Williams College was cancelled due to unplayable conditions on a flooded Hitchcock Field. "It's good to know that that won't happen again," Denious added.

Nevertheless, while the College's new "resources are amazing," Marx reminded, "in the end, [our success] comes down to people, people who hope to follow in the Goodings' example."