Anyone who reads the newspaper or turns on a radio these days is surely aware that this is the season … for homecoming!

The tradition of homecoming, or welcoming back alumni for a football game, is unique to our United States.

The roots of homecoming reach back to the 1870s, when Harvard and Yale began inviting alumni to attend their annual game. Later, Baylor University had a homecoming in 1909, and the University of Illinois had one in 1910.

However, the University of Missouri generally gets credit for hosting the first true homecoming celebration. In 1911, their athletic director invited all alumni to “come home” for a fiercely competitive game. Nearly 10,000 alumni obliged!

Thus began the U.S. homecoming tradition, featuring parades, pep rallies, parties and royalty, all planned around a football game.

Across the country, from high schools to colleges and universities, homecoming is a huge deal.

But its true appeal goes beyond the football and the fanfare. Homecoming is really a celebration of connections. Connections that are born of shared experiences. Connections that reach across generations.

This Friday night, the Trinity family celebrates its homecoming.

Before the game, our former homecoming queens will parade. At halftime, the new queen and court will be presented.

Of course, we’ll have food and festivities at the alumni tailgate tent throughout the evening. But best of all, we will experience the powerful feeling of being connected to each other as a result of our shared commitment to Trinity.

Trinity’s mission of preparing students to succeed in college and in life is deeply embedded in the hearts and souls of our Trinity alumni.

At Trinity, our alumni family reaches back generations and includes our graduates, their parents and grandparents, our former teachers, former staff, former board members and other loyal fans of our school.

As head of this independent college preparatory school, I am clear that we are in the business of launching our students into college and into life fully prepared to excel.

But I also want them to come back — to come home — as often as they can to share their experiences, to encourage the next generation, and to lead the way for those who will follow. There is nothing more important than family.

Happy Homecoming!

 

Les Hegwood is head of school at Trinity Episcopal Day School, founded in 1952.