Platos win 85th Tug

“Don’t stop! Keep going!”

These were the words repeated to each Plato by Upper School English teacher Sam Wade ’12 as they exited the bus to make the trek down to the Harpeth River for the 85th annual Tug. This year, the Platos were on what many call the less advantageous side of the river, a steep-sloped side prone to mud.

As both the Greers and Platos took their positions at the rope, a large crowd above on Highway 96 cheered them on. At the sound of the starting pistol, the competition began.

The Tug is a time for all of BGA to come together, for friends and family to watch, and for many faculty and staff to join the students on the rope. Wade was one of many adults down at the rope, pulling with the students.

“You never know how exhausting a tug-of-war is until you’re in one. Your grip alone exhausts you. Your forearms burn, biceps sear with pain. I’m not as young as I used to be when I pulled in the springs of ’09-’12, but in the moment, adrenaline takes over and pushes you further than you even intend to go,” Wade said.

For this year’s Tug, many participants would go further than ever before, with the competition lasting for 4 minutes and 43 seconds, one of the longest Tugs in BGA history.

“I have never been part of a Tug like that before. The emotions you went through as you had time to think about each step in your direction never quite matched what I experienced as a student,” Wade said.

After a long pull, the siren finally sounded, and it was the Platos who took the victory, keeping their record of most Tug wins. As of this year, the Platos have 43 wins, and the Greers follow closely behind with 40 wins. There have been two ties in the Tug’s history, both resulting from the rope breaking.

“The Tug is the culmination of the idea of community at BGA, and it’s the thing you look forward to all year. The frustration and hard work of grades, athletic competitions, performances, relationships are exorcised at the end of that rope,” Wade said.

“It’s a tremendous lesson for the end of a school year: to never give up and always keep your feet moving.”