On a glorious late summer afternoon, the Moriarty Athletic Campus officially opened for business. At precisely 2:45 p.m. dozens of Concord Academy athletes streamed off buses and onto the fields ready to play their matches.
During a brief opening ceremony, Head of School Rick Hardy addressed the crowd, “Welcome to opening day. It was five years in the making but I think you will all agree that it was well worth the wait.”
Judging by the crowd’s enthusiasm, everyone agreed that it was.
Co-heads of the Athletic Advisory Council David Lander ’13 and Eliza Thomas ’14 shared their thoughts with the assembled group. Eliza spoke for many CA athletes when she said, “I have always wondered what it would be like to play on these fields with these teammates. That is going to be one of the best feelings for me.”
As the students, faculty, staff, and parents gathered around a large bell in front of the field house, Athletic Director Jenny Brennan explained its significance. “Every time a CA team wins on these fields, a player will be designated to ring the victory bell . . . I’m sure we will be hearing it a lot around here,” said Brennan.
The assembled team captains then moved closer, pulled the rope, and the bell rang out for the first time.
The Moriarty Athletic Campus was covered in a sea of CA green all afternoon, from the emerald green of the grass fields; to the green T-shirts with Moriarty Athletic Campus Opening Day emblazoned on the back; to the smiling students sporting green facepaint. Music by the CA Drum Corps and the Halsey Hutchinson Trio energized the upbeat crowd, many of whom danced along to the beat.
During her speech, Eliza Thomas ’14 said the CA athletes wanted to “make these fields proud.”
And on the opening day the teams did just that.
Charlotte Weiner ’13 scored the first goal on the property. The girls varsity soccer team ended its match in a tie while the boys varsity soccer team won its game 7–0.
It was a terrific end to a perfect day.
Click here to see photos of the day.