At St. Joseph’s Academy, there is no lack of competitiveness. Students continuously show up and show out when it comes to sporting events. Recently, St. Joe held one of its major spirit games of the year, Funderwear, against Cor Jesu Academy.
The competition consists of three parts: Tug-of-War, the socks and underwear collection, and the basketball game. January 9, 2024, marked the 20th annual Funderwear competition. Students brought high energy, and the school spirit from both St. Joe and Cor Jesu made for a great competition.
Junior Enza Bommarito described the atmosphere of Funderwear.
“The bleachers were completely filled with students from both schools. Everyone was constantly cheering, trying to cheer louder than the other school,” Enza said.
Ms. Hailey Meersman, a math teacher at St. Joe, chooses and leads the Tug-of-War team each year. Weeks before Funderwear, tryouts are held to ensure that only the best athletes are chosen for the team. After Ms. Meersman forms the team, training begins. With the help of assistant coaches, Ms. Meersman trains the team to learn the proper technique and strategy. St. Joe’s Tug-of-War team fought hard, but unfortunately, Cor Jesu’s team tugged harder and won. It was a very upsetting loss, but Ms. Meersman’s determination to win endures, and she is already hopeful for the next year.
Anna Spalitto, the only junior on the 2024 Tug-of-War team shares the preparation plans for next year’s game.
“Ms. Meersman emailed me some game footage to study to master the technique for next year. Next year will be our year for Tug-of-War,” Anna said.
Another aspect of the Funderwear competition is the pants competition. Each school designates one week before the basketball game to collect as many pairs of socks and underwear as they can. The winner is decided based on the number of socks and underwear collected per capita to make the competition fair. This year, collectively the schools donated 64,393 pairs of socks and underwear to St. Patrick’s Center.
Although St. Joe did not win the game of Tug-of-War or the pants, the basketball team brought home a victory. Cor Jesu brought great competition and the win certainly did not come easy. It could have been anyone’s game. As the sound of the buzzer signaled the end of the game, students from the St. Joe cheering section ran off of the bleachers to greet the winning team. With smiles on their faces, students collided with one another, causing many people to end up in a dog pile on the ground.
Funderwear brings an abundance of joy and healthy competition. Both schools were able to go home that night with at least one victory. However, regardless of who wins each competition, the most important aspect is that Cor Jesu and St. Joe came together to help those in need. The donations to St. Patrick’s Center reiterate two of St. Joe’s most significant mottos, “Not I, But We” and “Serving the dear neighbor without distinction.” While Funderwear indulges in a friendly rivalry, it also brings the community together to work for the greater good. For this reason, Funderwear remains one of the most loved traditions at St. Joe.
