Every year, late in December, Sacramento Waldorf School students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff gather for a revered and anticipated basketball game.

It’s no usual basketball game, opposing a competitor school. This long-awaited event is the basketball game, where our alumni come back from over the decades, both men and women. It’s a day of fun and camaraderie, of admiration and respect. Students look up to the alumni who share their stories and their journeys when they’re not slam-dunking. And alumni reminisce fondly with peers and teachers, about their time proudly playing for the Waves.

“It’s super fun,” says Chris Schwartz-Edmisten, a 2012 graduate who attended Sacramento Waldorf School from second grade through graduation, and then was recruited to play basketball at Dominican University in San Rafael. Chris is now a web designer, who teaches about digital marketing through YouTube.

“I loved this game so much as a player,” recalls the Rosemont resident. “It’s fun to be on the other side and play with people you watched in high school and heart stories about. It’s cool to have those worlds colliding.”

In fact, as testament to the strength of our athletics program, Chris averaged 34 points a game and was known nationally as a top high school basketball player. He shows up most Mondays to help Coach Dean Stark with varsity practice.

Jun Kawano, a more recent graduate (2018), played his second game this year. He says Coach Stark is like “a second dad.” Jun grew up in Hawaii and moved to California in third grade, when he came to Sacramento Waldorf School.

“I remember idolizing the players on the varsity team, and then as time goes by, they graduate, but then they come back, so it was an exciting thing,” he says. “Even in middle school, we didn’t know anyone on the team, but it was a big community event that was pretty exciting.”

Basketball “was such a big part of high school life - not only the bond that comes with playing, but playing with kids I knew for such a long time. It’s a must-go event,” says Jun, who studies architecture at CalPoly in San Luis Obispo. “This game is the best way to see alumni and how they’re doing. A lot of alumni come to see each other; it’s a catalyst for reconnecting, which is pretty cool.”

Lillian Olson graduated in 2016 and is a senior at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, studying communications and religion.

“I definitely idolized the older women on the team,” she says. “I felt like I could learn a lot from them. It was exciting to have them come back from their college experience or wherever they were and get a feel for what my options were for after high school, and relive moments we had had playing together.”

“It’s also nice to see faculty and parents in the community that were really involved with running the program,” says Lillian. “Basketball was a great way to be involved in the high school community. Being able to continue to support women in sports is exciting.”

A Carmichael resident, Lillian played one year of college basketball before switching to ultimate frisbee. “The alumni game is a good way for the school to keep a larger network of people coming back,” she says.

Melissa Rainsford, a 1995 graduate, current parent and the girls Varsity basketball coach, who also coaches middle school basketball says, “This is such a tradition. It’s not even just the basketball game. It’s alumni gathering and coming together, reconnecting.”

Before stepping into the head coach shoes, Melissa assisted varsity coach Paul La Mere, who started our girls basketball program. Coach La Mere “held a record for having 109 straight wins,” she shares. “He really started and held that girls program for a long time. He was my coach. I am still in touch with him on a weekly basis, and he helps me out and gives me tips.”

Sydne Long, a 2019 graduate from Eldorado Hills who attends the University of Oregon, ran cross country in fall, played basketball in the winter and senior year, played soccer in the spring. She is playing intramural basketball in college, but says she misses playing for the Waves.

“It’s a very cool experience to be able to see what you’ve been a part of and see what you are continuing,” Sydne says. “Playing basketball for SacWaldorf was the highlight of high school for me. I looked forward to it every year, and it really is where I made the most connections, my best friends. Being a part of that program changed me in a lot of ways and shaped my high school experience.”