By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

Apr. 20, 2016:  The Broncos are in the midst of Spirit Week, a spring event when athletes participate in fundraising activities for various charities. As is tradition during Bronco Spirit Week, the spring teams also engage in multiple activities to raise school spirit and hold various events for the younger Bronxville School community. For photos of all the events, click here: Bronco Spirit Week 2016. 

Spring sports were not the only sports involved in Bronco Spirit Week this year; soccer became part of the tradition, too. Ever since the death of former Bronxville student and avid soccer player Thomas Jakelich, Bronxville students were looking for an opportunity to hold a fundraiser in his memory. Thanks to the leadership of the Bronxville Athletic Council and the Student Faculty Legislature ("SFL"), that opportunity materialized this week. 

Under perfect blue skies on Saturday, close to 200 students came together from four different schools to participate in the inaugural Thomas Jakelich Soccer Tournament at Chambers Field. The event, a 5 vs. 5 soccerfest, commemorated Jakelich, who died of injuries suffered during a high school soccer game in October of 2015. Jakelich, a former Bronxville School student and soccer player, was a junior at the Loyola School in Manhattan at the time of his death. 

The tournament featured over 30 teams from Bronxville, Loyola, Tuckahoe, and Pelham. Four games were played at once, horizontally across Chambers Field, and the final four teams joined forces at the end of the tournament to play a 10 vs. 10 championship round. Every participant received a commemorative T-shirt with Jakelich's name and number.

"Many of the games ended in a tie," said Athletic Council co-president Matt Bettino.

"The [student] referees decided those teams should get a free kick from midfield to decide the winner. One game went on so long that the referee, RJ Ambrose, went to rock-paper-scissors to decide the outcome." 

Each team paid to enter the tournament, and fundraising efforts also included a raffle and a bake sale. The money will be donated to the Thomas R. Jakelich Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Loyola School. 

"The event was a joint collaboration of the Athletic Council and SFL from conception to execution," said Jane Sears, vice chair of the Athletic Council Parent Committee. "Seriously, they did the whole thing. I, for one, was moved by their spirit, generosity, compassion, and inclusion. It does not get better than that." 

Natalia Kaminiski, president of the SFL, helped plan the soccer fundraiser and would love to see the tradition continue.

"We hope that this year's soccer tournament will set a precedent for years to come so that we can continue to celebrate Thomas by doing what he loved most."

Many other Bronco teams held fundraisers this past week. The boys' and girls' lacrosse teams raised money for One Love, a foundation started in the name of Yeardley Reynolds Love, a University of Virginia lacrosse player who was killed by her boyfriend in 2010. Co-captain Ara Atayan spearheaded a fundraising effort on CrowdRise, a fundraising website.

"There was no need to handle anyone's money," noted Atayan. "It went directly to One Love. I just set up the page, so it was promoted under my name and the lacrosse team. Coach Horgan sent out an email blast, and the kids included it on their respective Facebook pages."

Their efforts paid off. They exceeded their goal, earning $9,000 for the One Love Foundation.

The baseball team raised $1,000 for the Zoe B. Klimley Scholarship Fund. Zoe, a Bronxville resident and former Bronco student whose brother pitched for Bronxville baseball team last year, died suddenly of a blood clot in 2014 when she was just a junior at the Taft School. 

Golf and mountain biking will hold a Hearts to Home Bike Build on April 30. 

Last Thursday, the "younger" Broncos had a chance to participate in Spirit Week. The boys' and girls' track and field teams ran a free clinic for over 170 elementary school students. Tomorrow, third-grade students will have an opportunity to listen to high school athletes discuss character, sportsmanship, and the importance of balancing athletics and academics.

Overall, it was a successful Spirit Week.

Go Broncos!

Pictured here:  Bronco Spirit Week. 

Photos by Scott Burge, Jeannie Murrer, Fran Pepe, and Nonie Flannery