Erik Smiles knew he had some large shoes to fill when he replaced longtime Brooklyn College Athletic Director Bruce Filosa, who retired in 2022 after leading the program since 1992.

Athletically, Smiles knew it was a great place that he could help continue to grow, as Filosa had done a terrific job rebuilding the athletic department as it transitioned from Division I to Division III and added great facilities like the West Quad Center and turf field. The foundation built over the last three decades allowed the college to expand and improve the student-athlete experience. What also helped Smiles was that he was no stranger to the CUNY Athletic Conference, having served as Hostos Community College’s director of athletics, recreation, and intramurals since 2019. During his tenure there, he helped oversee both a women’s and men’s basketball program that won NJCAA D-III, CUNYAC, and Region XV titles.

Smiles talked about his love for sports, particularly basketball, and what drew him to Brooklyn College and CUNY.

What makes CUNYAC unique, and why do you feel athletics are so important at this level?

The Division III level and CUNYAC within that are special in my opinion because we have some of the most diverse and hard-working student-athletes in the country. Many of our student-athletes are first-generation Americans and first-generation college students, and they have worked so hard to get where they are. Many not only play their sport and attend classes full time but also have a part-time job to help pay for school and help their families.

I think athletics is so important at this level for two reasons. First, being a part of a team teaches you so many lessons that are going to be important to these student-athletes as they transition to their profession. Teamwork, communication, dealing with adversity, how to stay humble in success, leadership, and dedication are just some of the lessons that are taught in real-time by being part of a college athletic team. The bonds that are built between teammates, coaches, and the institution itself by going through a season are remarkable and lead to great future Bulldog alumni.

Second, with all that is going on in the world, I think there is no better outlet than being a part of a team for both your physical and mental health. It is proven that exercise and activity are major components of mental health, and what better way to achieve that than working toward a common goal of a championship with your teammates?

Tell us about some pleasant surprises you encountered at Brooklyn College.

The first surprise was I did not realize how beautiful the campus is and how centrally located it is to everything in Brooklyn.

The second thing, I don’t want to call it a surprise, is that the athletic staff I inherited is great. The staff and coaches have so much experience and are great at what they do. They have made my transition to Brooklyn so much easier than I thought it would be. They are really focused on giving the student-athletes a great experience and want to make sure we grow and give them every chance to win and represent Brooklyn College the right way.

Where would you like to see growth in the athletics programs?

One area that I would love to see us grow is our relationship with our alumni. Our athletic alumni are a large and diverse group, but the common theme for all of these different groups is that they loved their time at Brooklyn College and want to be involved. So, I think it is really important that over these next few years, we work hard in re-engaging alumni and getting them back on campus. We are already working on a few events and programs, such as reactivating our Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, developing an athletic alumni group, and an annual golf outing. We held an alumni night at our basketball doubleheader in early December and had close to 75 basketball and cheerleading alumni attend. It was great to see such a turnout! We are also working with some of our alumni from the 1970s and 1980s on starting an alumni mentoring program, where some of our older or retired alumni mentor our current senior student-athletes as they get ready to transition to their professional life post-graduation.

You have a strong background in basketball. What other sports are you especially drawn to?

Actually, all of them. I think that, with our turf field being the best outdoor facility in CUNYAC, we have the potential to grow our men’s and women’s soccer programs as well as our softball program. We have some really good coaches leading those programs, so the pieces are in place for the programs to grow in terms of their competitiveness. We also have made some investments in the aquatics area, so I am excited to see our men’s and women’s swimming programs grow and become not only locally but regionally competitive.

Another sport that I am hoping we can make some investments in is our men’s and women’s tennis programs. Our tennis coach is a knowledgeable veteran who really knows the game of tennis, and the student-athletes who make up those teams are some of the coolest kids we have in the athletic department. Unfortunately, our tennis courts are aged and need renovation. I hope that we can dedicate some funds to bringing the courts up to the level that our student-athletes deserve and enable our tennis programs to continue to grow.

What would you tell a student who was debating joining a team at Brooklyn College?

I would tell them to reach out to the coach of that specific sport and find out what the commitment is, and if they can do it to give it a chance. We have great coaches, great facilities, and a great institution that is going to give you a world-class education. As I mentioned before, there are many positive lessons that are learned from being a part of a team as well as the lifelong bonds with teammates and coaches.

Also, if being on a team is not for you, that’s fine, because we offer so much in our department. We have intramurals for students who want to play team sports but may not be able to be on the varsity team. We offer a comprehensive recreation program that is open daily and offers the fitness center, swimming pool, gymnasium, and racquetball as well as all of our outdoor facilities. There is something for everybody, depending on what you are looking for. But if you want to stay active and healthy, we are the place to be!