Athletics Facilites - Thayer Academy

Athletics Facilities

Main Campus Facilities
South Athletic Campus

Main Campus Facilities

Richard V. Sawyer Athletic Center

The Richard V. Sawyer Athletic Center was a gift from the Class of 1962 and other individuals who were inspired by Coach Sawyer. Coach Sawyer served at the Academy as a teacher, coach, and mentor from 1947-1995. The facility houses Memorial Gym, Alumni Gym, a fitness center, and numerous multipurpose spaces for workouts and team rooms.

Memorial Gymnasium

Originally completed in 1952 and dedicated to those Thayer alumni who served our country during World War II, Memorial Gymnasium was renovated during the summer of 2011 through the generous support of parents, alumni, and friends of the Class of 2011. Memorial Gym is home to the Coach Rob Dixon ’79 P '03, '16 Court for basketball games as well as volleyball and wrestling matches; it also serves as a fitness and activity space. A wrestling mat hoist was added in 2020.

Alumni Gymnasium

Alumni Gymnasium is best described as a multipurpose center with a curtain divider. It contains two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and a batting cage. Throughout the year, the gym is also used for athletic training and fitness classes.

John & Cyndy Fish P ’10 Center for Physical Fitness

The Fish Center for Physical Fitness was constructed in 2004 as an addition to the Sawyer Athletic Center. This space includes a full fitness center and the athletic training room. During the summer of 2019, thanks to the efforts of the parents of the Class of 2019, the fitness center received a full makeover with new equipment and more open areas for team-focused workouts.

Tiger's Den

The Tiger’s Den is located on the second floor of the Cahall Campus Center. This is the home of the William M. Smith Wrestling Center. Equipped with 16 rowing machines, it also serves as the dryland training center for both the girls and boys crew teams (both fall and spring).

Outdoor Facilities

Main Campus Turf Fields
(Kendall Field & Main #2)

Thanks to the efforts of the Class of 2014 parents, the main campus fields were resurfaced in 2016 to bring state-of-the-art turf to Thayer. These turf fields are used for soccer and field hockey during the fall and for lacrosse and baseball during the spring. They are located adjacent to the school’s bus lane.

Main Grass Soccer Field

Located in the outfield of the baseball and softball fields, the Main Grass Soccer Field is a full-size varsity soccer game and practice field. This field was resodded in the fall of 2015.

Ward S. Donner Memorial Football Field

The Ward S. Donner Memorial Field was dedicated in June 1969 to honor Coach Ward Donner P ‘59, ‘63, who coached varsity football from 1943 until 1968. All varsity, JV, and Middle School football games are played on this field. During the summer of 2019, the field was releveled and reseeded.

Richard V. Sawyer Track

The Richard V. Sawyer Track was dedicated in May 1977 to honor longtime coach and faculty member Richard V. Sawyer P ‘68, ‘71. The track is home to the 20-time ISL Champion and 23-time New England Champion Girls Track & Field team and the three-time ISL Champion and 12-time New England Champion Boys Track & Field team. During the summer of 2019, the track was resurfaced; and the field event locations were reconfigured and rebuilt.

Harold B. Hatch Cross Country Course

The Harold B. Hatch Cross Country course was dedicated in October 2013 in honor of Coach Harold B. Hatch P ‘83, who taught math and coached cross country and track at Thayer from 1980 until 1999. This 5k course runs through the fields and the neighborhoods that surround the campus. The finish line is located on the new track next to the Harold Hatch Memorial Rock.

Justin A. Lloyd '12 Baseball Field

The Justin A. Lloyd ’12 Baseball Field was dedicated in May 2019 to honor this alumnus from the Class of 2012. The field is home to varsity, JV, and Middle School baseball teams. It features a state-of-the-art baseball scoreboard, backstop padding, and an outfield fence. The field was resodded in the fall of 2015.

Softball Field

The softball field is located closest to the Cahall Campus Center. The field was completely redone in the fall of 2015. An outfield fence and scoreboard are put in place during the softball season.

Main Campus Tennis Courts

The Main Campus Tennis Courts are located across the street from campus and were resurfaced in the summer of 2020. All tennis programs in the Upper and Middle school for both boys and girls utilize this space, and these courts are also used for fitness classes and intramural programs.

Pools

The pools are located next to the Cahall Campus Center and are only used for Camp Thayer during the summer. Thayer's interscholastic swimming and diving program practices and competes at Blue Hills Regional Technical High School.

South Athletic Campus

Thayer Sports Center

The Thayer Sports Center opened in the fall of 2019. The building contains a hockey rink, a multipurpose field house with indoor tennis courts and basketball courts, a fitness center, and an athletic trainer’s room.

Arthur Valicenti Rink

The Thayer Sports Center features one NHL regulation-size ice surface and a one-half ice sheet for practice. The girls’ and boys’ varsity hockey teams have their own locker rooms to be used only by Thayer year-round; the girls’ and boys’ JV teams have their own locker rooms during the season. The rink also contains a heated storage room for sub-varsity and Middle School teams. The rink is named in honor of longtime coach and athletic director Arthur Valicenti ‘51 P ‘75, ‘75, ‘77 GP ‘10, ‘14.

Indoor/Outdoor Tennis Courts

There are four indoor USTA-certified tennis courts and four outdoor USTA-certified tennis courts that allow the Upper School tennis teams to increase practice time and prepare for matches based on the opponent’s respective playing surface. During the winter, the indoor surface has four basketball courts and four volleyball courts.

Hospitality Room

The hospitality room is located on the second floor of the Thayer Sports Center. The room overlooks both the hockey rink and the field house. This space is open during games and used for special events throughout the school year. The space also allows students to complete homework and study before and/or after practices. Outside of the viewing area, there are coaches’ offices, a fitness center, a laundry room, and a kitchen.

SAC Turf Field

The turf field at the South Athletic Campus is available for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and softball at all levels. It is mainly used on busy game days throughout the fall and spring and can be utilized on rainy days to preserve the grass fields.

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