Athletics has long provided a powerful connection between Sidwell Friends and its alumni. At Homecoming 2025, that connection came to life through a full day of athletic celebrations welcoming alumni near and far. Festivities included a fun run with virtual participation, a mixed doubles tennis exhibition, recognition of football alumni, and a special alumni Fan Zone during the football game.

“Athletics plays a large role in how alumni recount their Sidwell Friends experience,” says Head Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Eric Singletary ’93. “We get a tremendous turnout for Homecoming, largely due to the connection and relationship that athletics represent to our community. The pride so many alumni feel endures and grows.”

Head Tennis Coach Logan West ’01 agrees. “Homecoming 2025 was a special day for the Sidwell Friends community. We had multiple athletic events including both Girls and Boys Soccer, Volleyball, Field Hockey, and Football competing against other schools and going a collective 4-0!  It was especially meaningful to witness our football team defeat our old IAC rival St. Stephen’s scoring the game-winning touchdown with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter.”  

During halftime, Head Varsity Football Coach Jamar Chichester ’09 paid tribute to football alumni, noting especially members of the 2015-16 team on the 10th anniversary of their DCSAA Class A State Championship.

A ring ceremony for DCSAA DC State Championship Girls and Boys Tennis Teams was also held followed by a mixed doubles tennis exhibition in memory of Ron Goldman ’62. Past and current Sidwell Friends tennis players competed together.

The tennis exhibition featured a reflection on the Ronald Kogod Goldman ʼ62 Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by Robert (“Bob”) Kogod Goldman ʼ63 in October 2020, in memory of his brother. The fund provides scholarship support to an Upper School student athlete on the Sidwell Friends varsity or junior varsity tennis team. Bob Goldman attended and invited classmates of Ron’s to attend.

“Not only does this scholarship fund present the opportunity for the recipients to get a first-rate education, but it lets them get good at something they will carry for the rest of their lives,” Goldman reflected. “And, hopefully, they will have the same kinds of experiences and relationships, on and off the court, that my brother and I—and others—have had.”

Singletary notes that while Sidwell Friends teams have been fortunate to win many games and championships, the School’s athletic program impacts students and their families beyond the metrics and measurables. He and West both cite the Quaker values of their Sidwell Friends education as core to the coaching philosophies they bring full circle to the next generation.

“Empathy in sport encompasses the way we conduct ourselves with grace in both victory and defeat,” says West. “It’s the way we support our teammates in training and competition through adversity, and the sportsmanship we display towards our opponents in the arena.” He also notes that “stewardship in sport includes an appreciation for the facilities, equipment, and resources provided to us as a team and the care we display to respect and protect our playing environment.”

With such team culture, it’s no wonder that Sidwell Friends athletics continue to draw alumni back to campus year after year. 

Save the Date for Alumni Athletics Day! Saturday, May 30. To learn more about this event or Homecoming, contact Clayton Willis, associate director of alumni engagement, at willisc@sidwell.edu.