

28th Annual Weckwerth Lecture – Building Our Future Through Our History
Presented by Robert Accorsi, G’80
Springfield College Professor Emeritus, Department of Sport Management and Recreation
In the ever-changing world of sport, Robert Accorsi has consistently learned to adapt, which is fitting for a man whose decades-long career started in adapted sports. In this lecture, Accorsi reminds us that our history and tradition of excellence, and adaptation, are the keys to future growth and success.
Accorsi has created a legacy of leadership in service to others throughout his long tenure with Springfield College. Upon completion of his Master of Education at Springfield College, Accorsi was hired as the director of Sport and Recreation at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Western Massachusetts. As a champion of adapted sport, Accorsi was selected to be the USA National Team cycling and powerlifting coach for the 1984 International Games for the Disabled. In 1987, Accorsi served as the USA Team Leader for the Canadian American games, and in 1988, he was selected as one of three team leaders managing the USA athletes and staff for the Seoul Paralympic Games.
In 1990, Accorsi returned to Springfield College and the Department of Sport Management and Recreation as an assistant professor of Therapeutic Recreation. Additionally, Accorsi served as the Cycling Technical Delegate for the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games and was the venue director for the 2005 International Games for the Disabled. During his tenure teaching on Alden Street, Accorsi received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and was named the 2009-10 Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics, where his lecture was titled, “Humanics, Hope and Grit: Powerful Catalysts for the Paralympic Movement.”
With consistent levels of engagement with students, faculty and staff, Accorsi served seven years as the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative for the College. During his time in that role, he and Michelle Lee Scecina ran the Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) and instituted the “Fill the Bus Food Drive” to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Additionally, Accorsi is a co-founder (with Lauren Gray) of the Pride Cares mental health initiative on campus. Currently, Accorsi serves as the co-chair of the Western Massachusetts Sport Commission and he serves as an assistant women’s basketball coach for the Pride. In his 32 years at the College, he has influenced countless students and mentored many faculty, both within and outside of his department.
This event is free and open to the Springfield College community.
The Weckwerth Lecture is named in honor of the late Charles F. Weckwerth, a Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics, and annually brings leading experts in the fields of sport management and recreation to Springfield College to address emerging trends in these fields.
Questions about the event? Please contact Heather Gilmour, department chair, at hgilmour@springfield.edu or (413) 748-4751.
A Wellness Passport Event