THE NEW LUETKEMEYER
ATHLETIC CENTER
Calvert School strives to deliver a well-rounded educational experience for the whole child. For 125 years, Calvert has instilled a lifelong appreciation of physical activity, sportsmanship, and character development. Guided by this mission and the Calvert pillars of Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, and Honor, our athletics program is a key component of our curriculum. The acquisition of three acres contiguous to our campus brings with it the unique opportunity to have for the first time in Calvert’s almost 125-year history a dedicated athletic building, the Luetkemeyer Athletic Center, named in honor of alumnus Jack Luetkemeyer '53. This complex will house a convertible indoor artificial turf field for all Calvert sports, a student and faculty fitness room, and ten squash courts with an observation gallery. The athletic center will also function as a space where the entire Calvert community can gather for events and other programming.
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Calvert has selected Hord, Coplan, Macht architects to design the facilities. Construction will begin when we have received gifts and pledges for 100 percent of the total cost of $9 million and when we have 65 percent of that total cost amount in cash.
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Donors of gifts of $50,000 and more will be recognized on a plaque in the new complex. Donors of $150,000 or more are eligible to name a space in the facility, depending on availability. For more information, please contact Sarah Walton, Director of Development, at swalton@calvertschoolmd.org or (410) 243-6054 ext. 141.
The Luetkemeyer Athletic Center will:
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Expand the current athletic program significantly;
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Enable Calvert to introduce squash in the Lower School;
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Give advantage in a highly-saturated independent school market;
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Foster community partnerships with other athletic programs and club teams;
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Expand summer camp, after-school clubs, and all Calvert community event offerings; and
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Free up space in the Middle School for the science program by moving the faculty fitness center from the Middle School to the athletic complex.
Luetkemeyer Athletic Center Statistics
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24,000 square feet
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10 squash courts with spectator viewing area
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Artificial indoor turf field (approx. 130’ x 100’) for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, field hockey, and football
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Student and faculty fitness center
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Locker areas and other gym support spaces
Squash: A Program on the Rise
Hundreds of players have engaged in the squash program since its inception more than a decade ago. Our Middle Schoolers have won various regional and national championships, and Calvert is one of the only schools in the area to have its Middle School team invited to the U.S. Nationals.
The athletic complex will accommodate a burgeoning squash program and provide students facilities commensurate with their outstanding academic experience. The addition of squash courts on campus will expand our program into the Lower School’s physical education curriculum, exposing children at an early age to squash.
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In Baltimore, squash courts are at a premium. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calvert’s squash players practiced three days a week at a local health club at 7:00 A.M. Both the time and location of practice prohibited some students’ participation. An on-site facility would broaden the program to all grade levels and interested players. Once we’re able to safely return as a community to campus, we will restart our Squash Sundays, a weekly family program offered by Calvert.
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As a home for Calvert squash, an expansion of our athletics, and a resource for our families, the new Luetkemeyer Athletic Center will ensure that our students will have enhanced opportunities for many decades.
An Indoor Turf Field
The nearly 13,000-square-foot convertible indoor turf field will serve as a practice facility for many of Calvert’s sports teams, including soccer, lacrosse, baseball, field hockey, track and field, and football. All children take physical education, and nearly all (92%) of our Middle School students participate in after-school athletics.
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This building will expand our after-school clubs and summer camp programs. About 25% of our students stay for after-school programming, where we offer an average of 20 clubs each semester. These include soccer, ballet, yoga, and martial arts, among others. The new building will grow student registration for summer camps.
Student and Faculty Fitness Room
All students and teachers will have access to the fitness room located in the Luetkemeyer Athletic Center. This space will allow new units in physical education and enable teams to engage in the next level of strength and conditioning as they prepare for competitive play. The current fitness room for teachers is located in the Middle School. By moving this room to the Luetkemeyer Athletic Center, new classroom space will be available in the Middle School.
Calvert Athletes at the Collegiate Level
Many Calvert students have continued to play collegiate level sports. A sampling of those schools is below.
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Amherst College
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Bates College
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Boston College
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Boston University
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Brown University
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Bucknell University
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Colgate University
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Dartmouth College
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Duke University
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Harvard University
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Middlebury College
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Princeton University
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University of North Carolina
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University of Pennsylvania
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University of Virginia
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Trinity College
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Tufts University
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University of Tampa
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Virginia Tech
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Washington University
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Yale University