In preparation for Tabor Academy’s annual Holderness Day, headmaster Jay Stroud kicked off the opening ceremony on Nov. 12 by leading the crowd in the school’s chant for one of the last times before his retirement. As he called out to the crowd, “T-A-B-O-R,” Stroud used his arms to shape the letters of the school where he served as the head for the past 22 years.

The Tabor Seawolves annual rivalry with the Holderness Bulls began with a challenge from Stroud to the New Hampshire school where he had once been a faculty member. The event features competitions between the two school’s athletic teams held throughout the day, and alternates each year at which school the games are held.

Last year, Tabor traveled to Holderness, and lost all but one game. This year, however, the games were played on Tabor’s new athletic fields named for faculty member G. Richard Duffy. According to Stroud, Tabor would be taking back the trophy.

During the opening ceremony, Stroud stressed the importance of this day of sports and “friendly” rivalry for the students.

“Sports are an achievement, a goal and an opportunity,” Stroud said. “In high school it is being on a team, having a camaraderie which is the high point of human experience. Their only purpose was the strength both physical and emotional, and the time you had together.”

Lynn Barker, coach for Tabor's JV girls field hockey team, agreed with Stroud on the impact of sports on the students.

"We have our share of wins and losses," Barker said. "Last year we were the only team that was victorious and the girls couldn't stop talking about it. That shows you the impact of Holderness Day on the kids."

At the end of the day, Stroud was proved right when Tabor did take back the trophy. With wins from the girls field hockey teams, the girls soccer teams and boys JV-A soccer, Tabor was able to claim victory over Holderness.