A Homerun for All
Kimball Union Academy’s athletic facilities have served many student-athletes well over the years, but a comprehensive athletic center is long overdue. The reimagining of KUA athletic facilities began in 1945 yet has never been fully realized. While former Wildcats have gone on to outstanding collegiate and professional careers in their sport, we know these student-athletes would have benefited from a modern and centralized athletic campus experience. As we move forward, KUA aims to keep pace with the needs of today’s student-athletes and coaches, while helping all students develop a healthy body and sound mind.
KUA has a proud tradition of strong athletic teams and outstanding student-athletes, led by exceptional coaches who develop student-athletes at every skill level. Our varsity coaches help these young athletes not only achieve results but help them realize their full potential athletically, academically, and personally. Today we envision a program and a space that will give today's coaches a competitive edge, boost recruitment efforts by attracting new student-athletes to KUA while preparing them for college-level play and beyond.
Prioritizing Wellbeing
Guidelines recommend that teens get 60 minutes of exercise daily, yet only 1 in 4 high-school students meet that mark. Since physical activity is vital for improving brain function, emotional regulation, and learning, we believe that physical activity is a cornerstone of academic and personal success. It’s important for schools to create accessible pathways to health and our vision will create that pathway at Kimball Union.
Sports aren't just for the seasoned athlete. We believe in the joy of the 'first time.' By offering everything from introductory golf to mountain biking and skiing to putting on a pair of ice skates for the first time, we help students beat the statistics and build a practice they can carry with them for life.
Recent Accomplishments
Whittemore Athletic Center and Akerstrom Arena Renovations and Improvements
- Renovated Entrance Lobby and Public Spaces
- Upgraded Concourse Level to Honor Past, Present, and Future KUA Athletic Success
- Renovated Lower-Level Student-Athlete Corridor and Locker Rooms
The Whittemore Athletic Center/Akerstrom Arena entrance lobby and concourse are high-traffic and highly visible areas on campus. With the proposed renovations, we will welcome our students, parents, alumni, and visitors into warmer, brighter, and more inviting spaces in which we will honor past, present, and future KUA athletic success with updated banners, photos, and KUA branding. Likewise, the Akerstrom Arena lower-level corridor and adjoining locker rooms are utilized daily by our students and by visitors several times each week. To improve the student-athlete experience, these spaces need significant upgrades.
The Project of a Century
Morse Athletics and Wellness Center
A $10 million bequest from Phillip H. Morse ’60 will launch the vision for a new Athletics and Wellness Center and the development of a centralized Athletics and Wellness Quad. Morse’s transformational gift will significantly enhance KUA’s ability to support student-athletes and coaches in the pursuit of excellence, while also creating a best-in-class environment for health and wellbeing across the entire community. The new Morse Athletics and Wellness Center will join existing facilities—Whittemore Athletic Center, Akerstrom Arena, Pope Field Complex, and the Barn Field House—within a pedestrian-friendly quad anchored by a new grass gathering space.
“During my time at Kimball Union, athletics was at the heart of my experience. The coaches, teammates, and mentors I had there shaped me in lasting ways—and many of those relationships remain among my most meaningful lifelong friendships. As others reflect on their own time at KUA, I hope this gift inspires support for the bold vision we now have for today’s student-athletes and coaches.” - Phillip H. Morse '60
Next Steps and New Opportunities
Engineering & Architectural Designs
The next step in launching this multi-phase project is securing the final engineering and architectural designs that would put the Academy's exciting plans in motion by relocating the Campus Center Drive parking lot and adjacent tennis courts to make way for the Morse Athletics and Wellness Center, anchored by the existing Whittemore Athletic Center and Barn Field House.
New Grass Quad
By relocating current parking in the Campus Center Lot, the Academy aims to create a pedestrian-friendly grass quad that connects academic and athletic buildings. The new Athletics and Wellness Quad will create an outdoor space where students can gather, play, and relax between classes and activities.
Modern Tennis Center
KUA will construct six new tennis courts to preserve the Academy's varsity and junior varsity programs, and support ongoing community interest in recreational tennis.
Barn Field House Upgrades
The Barn Field House is one of the premier indoor playing surfaces in Northern New England. Upgrades to the barn are needed to keep pace with the structure's high-demand and remedy issues related to the roof, flooring, and ventilation; as well as construct restrooms to support usage.
Community Locker Rooms
At KUA, every student is a student-athlete, as we ask students to participate in an interscholastic sport and enjoy the benefits of the outdoors, recreation, and teamwork. New community locker rooms will provide every student on campus with their own locker and offer day students a dedicated space to change and shower during their time on campus. Faculty and staff will also have access to lockers and changing rooms, which encourages participation in health and wellness for our adult community.
Weight Room and Athletic Training Room
Strength training is one of the most popular afternoon activities and a foundation for our competitive athletes. The current space in Silver Gymnasium is unable to meet demand putting recreational users and varsity teams at odds. By moving the current weight room and centralizing the athletic training facilities, all treatments and rehabilitations can be performed on-site for any student-athlete participating in our programs.
Lobby, Multipurpose Space, and Athletic Offices
Through the creation of a central gathering and meeting spaces and multipurpose wellness spaces for students, faculty, and coaches, we can intentionally help build relationships beyond the boundaries of the playing fields. We envision spaces where students are instructed in dance and yoga, helping blend athletics, arts, and wellness.
Gymnasium
A new gymnasium will unite the current facilities at Alumni Gym (1953) and Silver Gymnasium (1914) with the additional athletic areas of support. These new spaces will offer two regulation courts and additional spectator seating to boost competition and enhance recruitment efforts. The new courts will help create equitable practice and training experiences for all basketball teams and allow additional spectators, visitors, and visiting college recruiters an optimal viewing experience.
This space will also provide recreational opportunities for all students and create the largest event space on the KUA campus.
For more than 75 years, KUA has been dreaming about centralizing athletics and developing facilities that reflect the caliber of our coaches, athletes, and commitment to training and competing at the highest level. A centralized athletics complex would transform the student experience and this campus, make a bold statement about our place in a competitive market, and be the most meaningful construction project KUA has seen in a generation." - Tyler Lewis P'28, Head of School