Darian Mihalakis ’27 & Joseph Doyle ’27
EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend is just around the corner, and it’s time to get ready for a jam-packed, nerve-racking weekend of intense sports battles. These two days are when it all comes together: an entire season of hard work, all for the moments when our teams can stifle EA’s fiercest rivals. As Varsity Girls Soccer Head Coach Andy Fraggos says, “This game is never a typical game.” But what exactly is at stake? And what preparations go into such important games? It’s time to dive deeper into this year’s EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend.
According to a Scholium article written in 2022 by Daniel Adibi ’25, EA/Haverford Day started with a football game between The Episcopal Academy and The Haverford School in 1889. This is a rivalry imbued in tradition. As the years went on, more and more sports were added to the competition, and eventually, an entire day was dedicated to the event. In 2005, EA added The Agnes Irwin School to the docket, allowing girl’s sports to participate too. The EA/AIS banner, the EA/Haverford sweater, and, of course, the school’s pride are at stake. For most fall athletes, it is the most critical game they’ll ever play for EA, and the buildup to it can be intense. That being said, holding the sweater or banner high over your head is a moment most will never forget. “A lot of our alumni look back and still remember stories about the sweater or the banner,” explains Greville Haslam Head of School, Dr. T.J. Locke.
The preparation for the games can be grueling. The golf team, for example, has had many intense practices in less-than-ideal conditions to prepare for any type of weather. “We are especially working in some bad weather to prepare,” Liam Crowley ’27, admitted. Adding to the bitterness of the rivalry, the current senior class missed out on a chance to compete in EA/Haverford/AIS day in their Freshman years because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Things are so intense that, according to the Boys Cross Country Varsity Head Coach Jim Farrell, “a group of boys tighten up their haircuts to be a bit more aerodynamic for the race.” For this race, every little bit helps. For the Varsity Girls Water Polo team, which will not play because AIS unfortunately doesn’t have a team, work is still being done to help EA prepare. “We are still helping support EA by making sure the boys [Varsity Water Polo] team trains for their match against Haverford,” says Lilly Smolenski ’27, “and also by making sure that we still feel very connected as a team and that we are also willing to support the other sports that are participating in Agnes Irwin day.” For each team, the methods for preparing for the big day can vary, but they all share an emphasis on continuing to do what’s worked for them in the past. “We’re continuing to practice, do workouts, and just mentally prepare for the day as well,” says Girls Country Varsity Head Coach Lauren Finnical. One thing’s for sure: this day is important, and teams are investing extra resources into preparing for it.
Each team has its own traditions and rituals for their respective games, with some of them going back decades.“The team usually gets together early, and they do hair, they do face paint, they get all ready to go,” adds Finnical. Hairstyles are also a big part of the Varsity Boys Water Polo team’s preparations for the big day. “The team will be looking their best on game day with the mohawks and buzz cuts,” says Lance Bowman ’26. Like hair, face paint is another popular tradition. “Face paint has always been the tradition,” emphasizes Fraggos. The Varsity Football team, meanwhile, has a tradition of honoring the seniors on their last practice of the year. “They get carried off of the field, kind of as a way to usher them out and honor them,” says Varsity Football Head Coach Todd Fairlie. Overall, these traditions have long histories and will continue into the future.
Dr. Locke also spends a lot of time preparing for EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend himself. When asked about how he prepares for the weekend, Dr. Locke comments, “Some years, I make sure I have lots of blue face paint or last year, I put blue wax in my hair,” he says when asked about what personal things he does to prepare for the day. He does this because he knows how important the day is for everybody at the school, especially the seniors. “They’ll still be telling stories to their friends years from now.”
Although the Heads of Schools are very passionate about EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend, their experiences differ from their students because the intensity between them is nowhere near as high as the tension between the students. “We don’t even really tease each other about the sports,” admits Dr. Locke. Still, Dr. Locke makes sure to participate in the festivities because he knows how much the games mean to the athletes. “There were thousands and thousands of people on campus,” exclaims Dr. Locke. “I get sick to my stomach, I get so stressed…You can never appreciate the energy and the excitement until you experience it.”
EA/Haverford/AIS Weekend remains EA’s most important sports day. The intensity and history behind the sports are simply unparalleled. The excitement when you can raise the sweater or banner is unrivaled. “When they held up the sweater they were so happy,” recalls Dr. Locke. So who’s going to win this year? You’re just going to have to watch to find out.