If there’s anyone who’s had a lifelong bond with a sport, it is Noah Aaron ’18. Despite having come in fourth form, Noah makes his mark as an essential member of the football, basketball, and track and field teams. Noah’s presence has since transformed each team for the better, bringing energy and passion to the sport for all members of the team.

In particular, basketball has made an impact on Noah’s life. His dad, who Noah said “put a basketball in my crib,” was the catalyst for most of his initial interest. That was when Noah’s love of the sport began: “My dad just loved the game. So naturally, I followed along behind.” Now, he is in his third year of basketball at Groton, playing as the school’s starting point guard and averaging 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.4 steals a game. When asked what makes him such a good player, Noah remains humble. He said that it simply comes down to his basketball IQ. Also acknowledging his dad’s support, he notes that running shooting, passing, and dribbling drills with him in the gym have led to his good performance.

Noah is the captain of the boys varsity basketball team for his second year in a row. Being a two-year captain like Noah is relatively infrequent, and requires hard work and dedication to the sport, something that Noah brings to the table. Joining him as captains are Joe Collins ’18 and Garvel Cassamajor ’18. However, Noah doesn’t think too much of the given name. He believes that a captain is “just a title,” and that “anyone can step up and lead at any given time.” With that being said, Noah still expects his teammates “to look up to [him] to lead when needed.”

And they do. Andrew Yang ’19 classifies Noah as “an outstanding captain who is admired for both his skills as a player and his character.” Caleb Coleman ’20 describes him as “a leader on and off the court for the younger guys.” He went on to talk about what the expectations for a two-year captain: “Going into his senior year a lot more is expected from him as his second year as captain. It is also up to him to keep everyone involved so we can work together as a unit.”

Not only has Noah earned the respect of his teammates, but also his coach, Harold Francis. Mr. Francis also has praise for Noah, describing him as “a natural point guard” who “sacrifices his own game at times for the betterment of the team.”

As for the basketball team, Noah has high hopes for their results this year. He believes that the team has “a strong chance to make the playoffs.” He went on to say that the team’s main problem last year was struggling to finish games, and that he hoped it would be less of an issue this year.

Looking back on his Groton career, Noah has two favorite memories. His first is an embarrassing basketball moment, watching Caleb getting dunked on during a game. His second, a more emotional and important moment, was “beating St. Marks last year in front of the whole school.” This was the first time the basketball team had beat St. Mark’s in over twenty years, so this was a huge moment for Noah and for the rest of the team.

Surprisingly enough, basketball isn’t the only sport Noah excels at. He was captain of the football team this year, winning multiple awards at the fall sports banquet, and will be the captain of Groton’s varsity track and field team in the spring.

Someone might be stunned when they hear of a tri-varsity athlete who captains all three of his sports. They might even be more surprised when they hear that this athlete has captained one of these sports for two years, exemplifying grit and determination. With this information, it makes full sense why Noah is the athlete of this issue. In Mr. Francis’ words, Noah “is our vocal leader on the floor and we are a better team when he is on the floor with us.”