Groton’s Long-Awaited Rivalry: Alumni Against Students

Long after Prize Day, Groton alumni gather annually to defeat the boys’ varsity basketball team. Alumni from as early as the Form of 1980 face off with current students, reunite with formmates, and set foot back onto the Circle.

This year was no ordinary year. For the first time, Groton hosted women’s events. These included both a girls’ basketball game and a puck drop ceremony at the girls’ hockey game against Milton. Angela Harris ’80, a former power forward for Yale University, has consistently come back to play in the men’s basketball game. This year she got to be a part of the women’s game as well.

Before the games, some alumni were invited to join student players for Sunday brunch, in which alumni and students alike gossiped about Groton news, compared the taste of dining hall pastries to years past, and shared stories. Harris said, “While the physical campus improvements have flourished, I’m pleased that the core values of leadership through service have not changed.” The alumni game is a great opportunity for current students to perceive what Groton used to be like.

Kevin Griffith ’80 has likewise committed to playing in every single alumni basketball game so far. When asked about his advice to younger players, Griffith says, “Enjoy the experience of different individuals bonding and working together for a common goal. Whether or not it is a good season from a win/loss perspective, the experience can be worth it.”

Additionally, sixth former and girls’ varsity basketball captain Sage Greaves ’26 says, “ I always feel as though I have so much to learn from these alumni, and I continued learning from them through our time on the court together.” When asked about how the day went, she focused on celebrating memories rather than the final score.

This term, Groton is celebrating 50 years of coeducation, to which Harris says, “The girls’ alumni game was a first of what I hope will be many more to come!” The graduates of the Form of 1980 were among the first co-ed forms; they have been eager to see a women’s basketball game taking place alongside the men’s. This year, as the buzzer-beater dropped in the men’s game, the sidelines erupted in cheers—not only for the student team’s game-winning shot, but also for the milestone of progress Groton has seen.