Historic Happenings: WA’s Capozzoli Athletic Center Opening

On October 17th, Worcester Academy students, along with faculty, alumni, and community members, witnessed a historic event in Worcester Academy history. With the help of over 1,000 people and hundreds of parents and alumni, the Capozzoli Athletic Center, which was under construction for around two years, finally opened. The building is a two-story facility located near Morse Field and is named after the late Ron Capozzoli, who was a 1949 Worcester Academy alumnus. Ron Capozzoli was not only an American businessman but also an “architect who loved Worcester Academy,” as stated by his grandson, Chris Capozzoli. Thanks to his generosity, we have many amazing sights in our new athletic center. One of these incredible sights to see is the new gym, Blackburn Court, named after Thomas E. Blackburn. Thomas E Blackburn coached WA’s boys basketball and was the Athletic Director from 1973 to 1999. The Blackburn gym, with its many courts, will host our basketball and volleyball games. It’ll also be a space for batting cages for the baseball team. Additionally, there’s a state-of-the-art center which includes a new swimming pool, new team locker rooms, training and fitness areas, and so much more to be excited about.

Teachers and students of all grades were also given “Defend the Hill” New Balance t-shirts to kick off this event, then excitedly gathered in the Blackburn Court with pompoms and WA spirit. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony had happened outside the building, trustees, alumni, and donors entered the gymnasium. There, they were greeted by a wave of excitement from everyone inside, students and faculty alike. Team captains from every team stood outside the doors, welcoming people in. The opening address was given by Meg O’Leary, President of the Board of Trustees, who spoke about the development of the Capozzoli Center. Afterward, our Head of School, Mr. Breen, took the stage and expressed his gratitude to everyone who worked on making this project possible. Next came Chris Capozzoli, the grandson of Ron Capozzoli, who gave an emotional speech about how his grandfather would’ve reacted with joy and pride to the building. He also mentioned how content Mr. Capozzoli would be every time he reflected on his time at Worcester Academy. Finally, Bryan Herlihy and Aekem Singh, two of our senior monitors, gave the final remarks on how the Capozzoli Center will build an even stronger community here at Worcester.

However, it didn’t just end there; Girls’ Varsity Volleyball competed against the Wheeler School over the weekend, marking the first-ever game (which they won) played on Thomas E. Blackburn Court. There were many other games throughout the opening weekend, such as Varsity Football vs. Greenwich Country Day School, Boys’ Varsity Soccer vs. Bridgton Academy, Junior Varsity Girls’ Soccer vs. Taft School, and Girls’ Varsity Soccer vs. Taft School. Additionally, there were several alumni events to celebrate reunions, and many community members attended over the weekend. Worcester Academy athletic teams will be using the Capozzoli Athletic Center as their main location to train and compete. Overall, the opening of this new facility was an exciting and unforgettable event that will shape Worcester Academy’s future for many years to come.