Stow MA welcomes Masters Academy campus built for elite athletes

Masters Academy International, the state’s first boarding and day school designed specifically for student-athletes, formally opened its new Stow campus on Sept. 15, according to a community announcement.

The school’s opening also brings the U.S. National Training Center for Olympic and Paralympic fencing to the former Bose Corp. property on Great Road. The project transformed the 82-acre site into an academic and athletic training campus through an $83 million investment.

“Today we’re not just cutting the ribbon or opening the doors — Masters Academy has built a launchpad for human potential,” said John “JT” Toole, chair of the Stow Select Board, in a statement. “They’ve created a place where grit meets intellect, where passion meets purpose, where ideas have the opportunity to be truly impactful.”

The academy combines five hours of daily classroom instruction with four hours of sports training, according to the announcement. School officials said students can accumulate more than 2,880 hours of sport-specific training during grades 6-12.

USA Fencing picks Stow for national training center

Founders Chris and Peter Masters said the school was created so students would not have to choose between academics and athletics.

“The simple premise was young people shouldn’t have to choose between excelling in the classroom and pursuing excellence in a sport they loved,” Peter Masters said in a statement. “We believe there was a better way to do both.”

The school will initially offer baseball, basketball, golf, fencing, figure skating, lacrosse, hockey and soccer, according to the announcement.

Gov. Maura Healey praised the partnership among academy leaders, town officials and the state.

“No matter where you ultimately go, know that you will land in a great space, and be so much better for it, because of the time you spent here,” she said in a statement.

Other attendees included Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll; Cognita CEO David Baldwin; Head of School Andy Williams; state Rep. Kate Hogan, D-Stow; state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Marlborough; and Olympic medalist Lauren Scruggs.

The academy opens with about 300 student-athletes in grades 6-12, including students committed to Division I programs such as Harvard, Penn and Rutgers, according to the announcement.

Officials said Masters Academy International is now Stow’s largest taxpayer, providing tax relief for local property owners.

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This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Stow MA welcomes Masters Academy campus built for elite athletes