The Barn gym may be empty as I write this, yet I can see and hear the excitement—”Let’s GO, BDS!” is ringing out, flashes of blue and gold are everywhere, players race back and forth between the lines, and familiar faces surround the court, chatting, laughing, and cheering.
Tonight, our varsity basketball teams take the floor to play in the Friday Night Hoops games against The Meadowbrook School. When can you officially declare something a tradition? I’m pretty sure we’re there with our Friday Night athletics events. Tonight’s games will be the eleventh edition of Friday Night Hoops. Friday Night Lights, our varsity soccer event, began in 2009, and the spring season Friday Night Scoops lacrosse games were added in 2022.
Generations of Belmont Day students, families, and faculty have now experienced and participated in these events, either as players on the courts, fans in the stands, musicians performing between games, volunteers helping with food, or advocating for charitable causes. Remarkably, our alumni from those first games are now well into adulthood, beyond their college years, establishing careers and starting families.
Part of the Friday Night tradition extends to welcoming alumni and their families back to cheer on the Blue & Gold again and encourage our current students and athletes. Don’t tell those current players on the court tonight, but the biggest win of any Friday Night game might be seeing our alumni in the crowd. Knowing that they are connecting with BDS through an athletics event and supporting our current students is a great victory for our athletics program and community.
Be sure to take a moment tonight to pause in the Barn lobby and check out the display of photos from past Friday Night Lights, Hoops, and Scoops. You’ll most likely see a familiar face of a classmate, teammate, friend, or maybe even your own!
I can’t wait for the Barn to fill up tonight with so many of those faces and hear us all together. Let’s GO, BDS!!!
