When Bobbie and Tona White donated money for the creation of Watson Arena, they asked that the arena be named after someone else: Bowdoin hockey legend and coach, Sidney "Sid" J. Watson.
"Bobbie played for Sid, and wanted to name the arena for him," said Athletic Director Jeffrey Ward. "It was a very generous offer."
Construction of the 68,200-square-foot arena began in September of 2007, more than a year before its highly anticipated opening on Sunday. Like Dayton Arena before it, "The Sid" is available for use to outside schools and clubs in addition to Bowdoin's own men and women's ice hockey teams.
Current men's head hockey coach Terry Meagher said the building truly represents Sid, with its "toughness of exterior" and "warmness of exterior."
Watson is known by most as a hockey coach who left behind a powerful legacy, having led the Bowdoin Bears to six ECAC Championships and claiming the ECAC Division II title in 1971, '75, '76, and '78. According to an article published on Bowdoin's Web site after his death in 2004, Watson also led the Polar Bears to the playoffs every year but one during his 24 seasons as head coach, during which he led the Bears to 326 wins, 210 losses, and 11 ties (.606).
After serving as head coach for 24 seasons, Watson served as the Ashmead White Director of Athletics from 1983 to 1998, during which Bowdoin's athletic program grew to encompass 29 varsity sports, five club sports, and more than 20 physical education courses. Watson also coached varsity and first-year lacrosse and varsity golf, and was an assistant football coach. In addition, he was the director of Dayton Arena, a physical education instructor, and directed swim clubs at Bowdoin and the Portland Country Club. In 1971 he founded "the Clinic," a six-week summer hockey school at Bowdoin that is still in place today.
According to Associate Director of Athletics Lynn Ruddy, who worked alongside Watson during his tenure as hockey coach and athletic director, Watson was "instrumental" in developing women's sports at the College and in encouraging all of his players to compete at their highest potential.
"He was a real gentleman and would never curse in front of a woman, but if you needed to hear it, he didn't hesitate," said Ruddy. "You always knew where you stood with him as a player or a person."
Watson's daughter, Nancy Watson Jordan, who now lives in Falmouth, said her father emphasized academics, morals, and integrity with his players and his family.
"My father was very fond of his players, and our family knew a lot of them," said Jordan. "He always wanted his players to do well academically because he truly cared about the whole person."
"Sid had a great respect for the faculty," said Meagher. "He valued academics and believed in Bowdoin's philosophy of the student-athlete."
According to his obituary, Watson also received the 1984 Bowdoin Alumni Award for Faculty and Staff, and was named an honorary member of Bowdoin's Alumni Association upon his retirement in 1998. In 2002, he was an inaugural inductee into Bowdoin's Athletic Hall of Honor.
Watson's passion for coaching and care for his players was recognized beyond Bowdoin as well. He received numerous coaching awards, among these the 1966 United Press International Coach of the Year, the 1969 and 1970 Clark Hodder New England Coach of the Year, the Hobey Baker Legend of Hockey Award, and the Edward Jeremiah Memorial Trophy as National College Division Coach of the Year in 1970, '71, and '78.
Beyond being an excellent coach, Watson was also "an all-around great athlete," said Meagher. "He took joy in every type of sport."
Watson's strong athletic career is indicative of his zeal for sport. Before coming to Bowdoin, Watson was a star athlete at Northeastern University, where he played football and ice hockey, and is considered "one of the greatest hockey players in school history," according to the 2004 article on Bowdoin's Web site. As of 2004, he held the record for Northeastern University in hockey with the most career points (191) and the most single-season points (74) in history. He then went on to play for the National Football League from 1955 to 1958 for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins before accepting a job at Bowdoin as assistant coach for football and hockey.
Watson's athletic achievements earned him a spot in the Northeastern Athletic Hall of Fame, the Maine Sports Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, according to his obituary.
According to Ruddy, Watson never liked to be "put on a pedestal for his achievements. He was always incredibly humble, though also very competitive."
Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster, who was Watson's neighbor for several years, agreed that Watson's competitive drive carried over to his gardening.
"We spent many hours together in our nearly adjacent garden plots, and he was brutally competitive, though it was all great fun," said Foster. "The greatest competition centered on who could harvest the first red tomato. It got increasingly competitive over the years."
Foster recalled a time Watson went so far as to attach a store-bought tomato to Foster's tomato plant in order to give the illusion that the plant was thriving.
According to his daughter, Watson's love of sports, competition and hard work carried over to his parenting and home life, and he is described by Jordan as, "a great father."
"We would go on family outings, and they almost always involved sports in some way," said Jordan. Jordan recalled playing hockey, swimming, and going to the gym as typical family outings.
"He was incredibly family-oriented. He wanted all of us to reach our goals and be the best people we could be," Jordan said.
Watson's family was present on Sunday, along with hundreds of alumni and past players who came to attend the hockey games and hear the dedication. Jordan was there with her sister and three brothers, "reminiscing and having a ball."
"I can't say enough about the tribute. It was just unreal," said Jordan. "We were all so moved to see how many people were willing to come back and how many people truly cared about Dad."