Groton-St. Paul's Tradition Blends Athletics, Service
Groton School and St. Paul’s School—longtime friendly rivals on the playing field—have established a new tradition that honors the schools’ athletic relationship as well as the ethos of service that both value.
The new Groton-St. Paul’s Challenge Cup will be awarded to the school that wins the most athletic competitions over the course of a year. A donor close to both schools has created a fund that will allow a charitable donation tied to the Cup each year. While the actual Cup will go to the athletic victor, the giving will alternate between the schools yearly, regardless of the games’ outcome.
The Groton-St. Paul’s Challenge Cup will preserve the two schools’ athletic competition after St. Paul’s withdraws from the Independent School League (ISL), at the end of this year. The two schools have been competing in sports for about fifty years.
“We are delighted to carry on our great athletic tradition with St. Paul’s and to honor the many athletes who have learned lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship through our competition on the playing field,” said Headmaster Temba Maqubela. “To combine athletics with giving gives new meaning to the schools’ relationship and celebrates the ethos of service that we share.”
St. Paul’s Rector Michael G. Hirschfeld agreed: “The Groton-St. Paul’s Challenge Cup celebrates the values at the very heart of our community. It also recognizes our kinship with a school equally devoted to the development of young men and women of character.”
Mr. Maqubela said he embraced the idea of continuing play with St. Paul’s regardless of league affiliations. “This time, let’s play for service,” he suggested to Rector Hirschfeld.
Students involved in service engagement, along with faculty advisors and athletic directors, will choose the charity. St. Paul’s is disbursing the first gift and has chosen the Boys and Girls Club of Central New Hampshire as the recipient.
Groton’s Director of Athletics, Bob Low, said that blending athletics with service makes the new Groton-St. Paul’s Challenge Cup especially meaningful—and true to the missions of the schools. “In this day and age, when it seems like end results and outcomes and statistics and wins dominate priorities, here you have two schools agreeing on a relationship based on helping others,” Mr. Low said. “Groton is so fortunate to now have two special athletic relationships—one with St. Paul’s and our historic traditional rivalry with our good friends at St. Mark’s.”St. Paul’s announced its withdrawal from the ISL last spring, reporting that three scholarships geared toward nontraditional students violated an ISL bylaw, which forbids financial aid that is not need-based.
The winner of the first annual Groton-St. Paul’s Challenge Cup will remain a mystery until the spring; based on fall contests, the schools are tied 5–5.
Photograph of 2013 Groton-St. Paul's football game by Angelo Santinelli P'13
Photograph of 2013 Groton-St. Paul's football game by Angelo Santinelli P'13
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