For one day in the fall term, Choate students dress in as much Choate gear as they possibly can, cover their faces with gold and blue face paint, and gather to cheer for competing athletes. This is Deerfield Day, or, as Deerfield students call it, Choate Day. It’s a 74 year-old event of cheering, sports, and school spirit.
“Choate has been playing Deerfield since 1922, but it wasn’t right away that we became rivals. Believe it or not, our rival in the beginning was actually Kent. Now, I’m not even sure we play them anymore,” said Ms. Judy Donald, the Choate Rosemary Hall archivist.
The rivalry officially started with a football game between Choate and Deerfield on October 7, 1922. Ms. Donald said, “The headmasters George St. John and Frank Boyden knew each other very well, so starting the rivalry seemed logical.”
The Choate/Deerfield rivalry also had strategic benefits. Ms. Anne Lozier, Deerfield Academy archivist, said, “In 1922, Deerfield was on shaky ground trying to establish itself as a private institution, and Headmaster Frank Boyden was starting to reach out to schools everywhere in order to form strong professional and personal ties.” She continued, “When you add that to the relationship that developed between Choate Headmaster George St. John and Boyden, you get a partnership and friendship that lasted for decades.”
The spirit of partnership continued as the tradition was implemented. Ms. Lozier stated, “The early games from the 20s exhibited the ideal rivalry in the eyes of both men: clean sportsmanship above all else, but a healthy competitive spirit and desire to win. The students seemed to truly enjoy competing against one another.”
A program note produced by Deerfield Academy for the October 19,1940 Choate-Deerfield Day also emphasized the “special quality of friendship” between the two schools. The program continued, “For many years, the bond between Choate and Deerfield has grown in strength. It assumes the significance of tradition.”
A news article published by The Deerfield School on November 17, 1956, describes Deerfield students traveling to Choate Day by train. Like modern times, the event was preceded by a pep rally, though the Deerfield students also held a “marching practice” on that same day.
Over the years, the rivalry continued to further the athletic and strategic goals of each school. Deerfield Day transformed as the two schools diversified their student bodies: by 1974, The Choate School and Rosemary Hall had merged, and by 1989, Deerfield Academy decided to admit women for the first time since 1948.
“One of the main reasons the rivalry became serious was because of girls,” said Ms. Donald. “After the merger, the Choate school finally had girls’ teams. With girls, we had a whole array of new sports, whether that be field hockey, girls’ volleyball, or soccer. The number of sports competing against Deerfield increased dramatically.”
With all the vibrant history between the two schools, and the myriad amount of games that have occurred, Ms. Donald still holds the exact data of each and every game played during Deerfield Day.
“We are finally at a point where we are actually ahead of Deerfield,” Ms. Donald stated. “Choate’s football team has been doing very well with 46 wins, 42 losses, and 10 ties. Boys’ soccer, on the other hand, is not doing as well. Boys’ soccer has won has won 28 times and lost 43 times with 15 ties.”
Ms. Donald continued on to list the statistics of girls sports. “Girls soccer has won 16 times, lost 7 times and tied 4. Field Hockey, like Boys’ soccer is in a challenged position and has won 7 times, lost 16 times, with 2 ties. Our volleyball team is also doing very well and we have won 16 times and lost 2 times.”
While these statistics show some of the wins and losses associated with Deerfield Day, the tradition is more than a competition. In a letter addressed to Boyden on October 28, 1932, Headmaster George St. John stated, “Our fellows would rather be beaten by Deerfield than to win most other games. It would have done you good to hear them telling us of how you and the Deerfield fellows treated them –– of the good sportsmanship, the hospitality, their swim, the apples in every car. We thank you, every man of us.”