On Wednesday, we celebrated four of our senior athletes who have committed to continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level next year. We are proud of the leadership, dedication, and determination these students have demonstrated during their time at FRA. Congratulations to Will Braam who will compete on the cross country team at  Rhodes College, Conner Moore who will play football for Southern Methodist University, Tzunami Polito who will play golf at Lipscomb University, and Timothy Pinkston who will play golf at Union University. Go Panthers!

Franklin Road Academy officially announced the opening of the new Crockett and Tansil Fitness center as part of an ongoing expansion of the FRA athletic center. In addition to the new 4,000 square foot, state-of-the-art fitness center, this space contains women’s and men’s home and visitor locker rooms, a new digital Alumni Hall of Fame, athletic offices, and a training room. This is part of a larger expansion that includes a new wrestling facility, team film rooms, dance/yoga studio, coach’s locker rooms, and a renovation to the existing gymnasium. The 15,500 square foot addition follows the opening the 38,400 square foot Weicker Center for Student Life in August of 2019 and the 12,500 square foot Scarlett Family Chapel in May of 2018.  

There are multiple windows in the Hall of Fame lobby that overlook the upper school gymnasium and create a space large enough to entertain small gatherings of students, parents, and alumni. The dance and wellness space, new wrestling room, and team video room located in the Weicker Center for Student Life are next to the fitness center, consolidating all of FRA’s athletic spaces and creating a new athletic center adjacent to the outdoor athletic fields.  

While more than 80 percent of FRA upper school students participate in at least one sport each year and a number of prominent alumni are currently competing at the collegiate level, the new Crockett and Tansil Fitness Center was created to serve all of FRA’s students, to be used for physical education, and ultimately to instill a lifelong love of physical fitness and healthy living. 

“There is a new energy in and around the weight room,” Bill Whittemore, varsity head football coach, said. “Our students love coming into this space and utilizing all it has to offer. This space will help our teams with their confidence and mental toughness. They are putting in the work to make themselves bigger, faster, and stronger, all of which it takes to compete at a high level.” 

One of the biggest impacts of this space is that it creates more community. In addition to attracting the best coaches, teachers, and students, it creates a place for them to come together and feel a strong sense of belonging beyond academics.  

The new athletic center connects generations of students, families, alumni, and athletes as they move on throughout their lives. FRA alumnus and parent of alumni, James Kennon ’82, was the principal architect on the project.  

FRA currently has 35 alumni athletes competing at the collegiate level including in the Ivy League, SEC, Pac-12, AAC, and the Big 12 Conferences. 

As we look ahead to our 50th Anniversary celebration year, we have several exciting updates to share with you regarding our awards for alumni and friends of Franklin Road Academy. In addition to our Distinguished Alumni Award, we are introducing two new awards, the Athletics Hall of Fame and the Arts Circle of Honor. Nominations for all three awards are open now through March 31, 2021. Please review the details below for information on each of the awards. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our alumni and friends.

The Distinguished Alumni Award was created in 2005 to show appreciation to those individuals who have made significant contributions to FRA. Those chosen to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award have influenced our community through their accomplishments, dedication, and service while at FRA and following graduation. Click here for additional information and to nominate someone.

The Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 2021 to show appreciation to those individuals or teams who have made significant contributions to FRA athletics. Those chosen for induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame have influenced our community through their ability, dedication, and service to our athletic program while at FRA and following graduation. Click here for additional information and to nominate someone.

The Arts Circle of Honor was created in 2021 to show appreciation to those individuals who have made significant contributions to the FRA arts program. Those chosen for induction into the Franklin Road Academy Arts Circle of Honor have influenced our community through their talent, dedication, and service to our arts program while at FRA and made an ongoing impact on society through the arts, academics, and/or service following graduation. Click here for additional information and to nominate someone.

Two Panther wrestlers qualified for the TSSAA DII State Championships in Chattanooga. Two more narrowly missed the opportunity in their high school debuts! Junior Thatcher Frankfather (182lb. class) and freshman Logan Maki (106lb. class) each finished 3rd at the TSSAA Regionals qualifying them for the State Championships.

Freshmen Bobby Council and Griffin Frankfather each placed 5th at the Region Championships just missing the 4th place qualifying standard.

Congratulations to Coach John Pierce '89 for his 300th career win with the Panther basketball team! The boys celebrated the 50-39 win against Grace Christian on Friday night. Congratulations coach!