Ensworth Orange vs. Black: The History of Field Day

Written by: MC Claverie

Every May, the track and field at Red Gables transforms into a sea of Black and Orange as students compete against each other in one of Ensworth’s most historic and beloved traditions — Field Day. 

For over sixty years, students have run, jumped, thrown, and tugged their way to victory for the Black and Orange Teams. Rooted in the spirit of athletic competition, camaraderie, and sportsmanship, Field Day connects Ensworth students across the decades.  

From the early days of Field Day to the Robert Inman era to the present day, explore how the memories of this day and the lessons learned have continued to shape Ensworth students and alumni even after graduation. 

The Early Years: 1958-1970
Ensworth was chartered in 1958 and opened its doors on September 10, 1958, with John Comfort as the first Head of School. At the time, the school had 152 students and 10 teachers across eight grades. According to Robert Crichton ’62, the first Field Day occurred in May of 1959. At the time, there were no boys in the Grade 7 or 8 classes, so younger boys served as male Captains. Crichton was the first official Orange Captain during his fifth and sixth grade years.  

The first written mention of Field Day and the Orange and Black Captains is in the 1961-1962 yearbook. That year, Margaret Sharp ’62 and Robbie Quinn ’63 served as the Black Captains while Carol Clark ’62 and George Bullard ’63 served as the Orange Captains. 

Quinn said that what he remembers most about Field Day is the high morale and good sportsmanship. As the first recorded Black Captain, he was charged with hyping up his team before events, just like the Captains still do today. 
“I remember giving a pep talk at halftime of the Orange and Black soccer game,” Quinn said. “We must have been down, but I said, ‘We can do this. We can come back, and we can win this. Let’s all go out there and give it our best.’”

In the 1960s, students’ academic achievement, such as the honor roll and public speaking contests, helped each team gain points throughout the year. On Field Day, various athletic competitions took place, including earth ball, battle ball, tug-of-war, the three-legged race, hurdles, kickball, and even swimming. Many of these events are still part of today’s Field Day competition.

“The tug-of-war was just vicious. You did not want to be on the side that was getting pulled over,” said Orange Captain Judy Quinn ’65. “It was very competitive. I don't know why we were so competitive, but it was as if our lives depended on it.” 

Each event winner received a small satin ribbon. For many alumni, these ribbons were cherished mementos of their Field Day successes. 
“We had little ribbons, which were truly ribbons — they were satin,” said Black Captain Casey Reed ’65. “They would just cut them with scissors, and they had a little pin. They were small, but I was so proud of them.” 

Even decades later, there is still an air of nostalgia surrounding the day. Though the specific details of the events and the day’s winners have faded, memories of excitement and joy still remain. 

“We were excited because we didn’t have to be in class,” Reed said. “It was a day for playing sports, running around, having fun, and trying to win.” 

The Robert Inman Era: 1970-1990
Those early Field Day traditions eventually evolved and grew with Robert Inman's arrival at Ensworth in 1966. 

“As Coach Inman's son, the day was always a big day,” said Orange Captain Michael Inman ’83. “I'm pretty sure that the nights before Field Day were the most sleepless nights of my childhood, excited with anticipation for the day to come — there was Christmas and Field Day.” 

Under Inman’s leadership, the school solidified that all family members would be placed on the same team, even generations later. 

These familial ties have added to the rivalry between the two teams, which, according to Black Team member Susie Bass Bowen ’63, was intense from the very beginning. Bowen's children and many of Bowen’s grandchildren would go on to be proud Black Team members, including her granddaughters Mimi Bowen ’25 and Rosemary Bowen ’29, who served as Black Team Captains. 
As some Ensworth alumni got married to each other, new challenges arose around assigning children to the Black and Orange Teams. What if one parent was a Black and the other was an Orange? This was the case for Black Captain Kathy Denton Stumb ’75 and Orange Captain Tom Stumb ’75. 

“Mr. Inman took both of us aside and asked separately,” said Kathy Stumb. “I know he knew that I would have wanted them all to be on the Black Team. Of course, I would have never considered that issue until it became an issue.” 
The Stumb kids followed in their father’s footsteps and were proud members of the Orange Team. Although Kathy Stumb cheered on her kids competing for the Orange Team, a part of her heart still rooted for the Black Team. 
“I had to be Blorange for a long time because my kids will die Orange,” she said. “But, if my kids were not in the particular event, and I knew some other kids in it, 100% I was rooting for the Black Team, especially when Oranges kept winning. Of course, I cared for the Black Team, I still do.” 

Although there have been few students with alumni parents who were on different teams, the school created a rule to handle this situation going forward — parents must decide whether their children will be on the Black Team or the Orange Team. 

“When it came down to it, we got an email, and Ensworth said y’all have to decide,” said Black Captain Caroline Rhett Sloan ’01. “My husband called me and said we could do whatever I wanted. I was a Black Captain, and he was not an Orange Captain, so that trumps the decision. I was not going to come here and cheer for Oranges.” 

As Ensworth grew in the 1980s and 1990s, so did Field Day. When Field Day first began, points were awarded for first, second, and third places. However, this left many kids out since they couldn’t score any points for their teams. Inman instead devised a system where anyone who participated would get some points for their team. He then took the school records and created a point scale scoring system. Everyone could earn points, but their team gained more points if a student broke a record from any of the previous years. This point system is the basis for the scoring system used today. 

“Mr. Inman was the centerpiece of it all. He made the competition so fun and made us feel like it was the most important day ever,” said Orange Captain Shannon Shillinglaw McIntosh ’96. “I do think some schools have tried to model their field days more like ours. I think being centered around a track and being similar to a track meet does make it special and more authentic.” 
Inman had students participate in practice events during P.E. class to ensure they were as prepared as possible for competition day. Students competed against each other and themselves, always striving to do their best. 

“The competitiveness was amazing then, and nothing has changed in terms of the competitiveness of current-day Field Day,” said Black Captain Julie Riven Dretler ’85. “Everyone was getting everyone fired up. We had conversations about good sportsmanship, especially with Mr. Inman being here at the time.” 

The Late Years: 2000-2010
By the 2000s, Field Day had become an iconic Ensworth event. Sloan remembers it feeling like the Olympics as the students prepared for their pep rallies. 

“Field Day is life. We still talk about it. It was the biggest example of school spirit,” she said. "We all came together, just decked out in our black, and my friends were orange. I remember such excitement because it was the end of the school year and a break from academics. We got to interact with the other grades.” 

The opportunity to interact with other grades and follow in the footsteps of the Black and Orange Teams before makes Field Day all the more community-oriented. Though many schools have their versions of field day, to students and alumni, the energy around the Black and Orange competition makes it distinctly Ensworth. 

“It's been going on basically since the school started, and there’s so much history,” said Black Captain Margaret West Rolfe ’15. "I remember looking through all the yearbooks in the library from the 70s and looking at the Captains then. Because we all bought into it, including the teachers and the faculty, it helped drive the competition.” 

“I remember hearing about other schools that had field days, but I feel like it just wasn't the same. We build up to it all year long, and the tradition of it — keeping the family members in the same team — builds camaraderie and rivalry,” said Orange Captain Jake Estes '14.

A Lasting Legacy: Field Day Today 
Homemade banners, pastel water bottles, and black and orange spirit wear blanket the field. Green grass and dirt stains cover students' legs and arms as they anticipate the final score announcement. Cheers erupt across the field — the Black Team wins Field Day 2025. Emotions are high as students hug their friends on both teams. Another successful Field Day has come to an end. 
Ensworth Field Day holds a special place in the hearts of students, parents, faculty, and alumni. Whether it's alumni watching their children compete or classmates cheering each other on, the spirit of the day is special to Ensworth. 
“I am yelling, 'Pull!' I still feel like I am a Captain out there,” Sloan said. “I have the schedule, and I’m telling them what to do; it does not leave you.”
Field Day also connects generations of Tigers — all Red Gables alumni can look back and reminisce about the famous Orange Team winning streak or the Black Team tug-of-war victory. It builds community and, most importantly, it brings the school together. It takes both Black and Orange to make a Tiger. 

“The old traditions that are still part of Field Day and that are the framework and the Black/Orange dynamic are so unique,” McIntosh said. 

The same sentiment echoes through the decades as a common bond among Ensworth alums, whether they graduated in 1965 or 2025. 

“It builds community, and people remember whether they were Black or Orange their whole lives,” Reed '65 said. “If you meet someone and they went to Ensworth you ask, ‘Were you a Black or an Orange?’ It's a great experience and it brings kids together.”