by Jessica Donohoe
Every Wednesday morning in room N126A, Mr Dwyer, Mr Lyson, and the students in Athletic Pride meet to discuss new ideas and current events that are going on in OHS with the focus being sports and athletics. Their biggest fundraisers are the Powderpuff game, the Circle of Pride Dinner, and Superbowl raffles.
This year’s Powderpuff game was held on November 3rd at 6:30pm. The game was played in remembrance of both Debbie Pearsall, the founder of the game at OHS and Ava Solonia, an OHS student who tragically passed away last year. Originally, the game was just for juniors and seniors but now has opened up to all grades. The teams are based on grade level: the blue team is Freshmen and Juniors and the pink team is Sophomores and Seniors. This fundraiser is known for raising school spirit and fostering friendly competition between the girls at OHS.
Debbie Pearsall wanted to create a game that brought the girls of OHS together. Debbie was on the OHS softball team and was a member of the track and field team as a discus thrower and a shot putter. In her time at OHS, the turf field was put in. Debbie realized that she would never play on that field while being a student here, so she put together the Powderpuff game. She decided that the girls of OHS should be able to play flag football and the varsity football team would be the coaches. After Debbie graduated high school, she went on to attend Lehigh University. Sadly, Debbie passed away from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 21 during her junior year of college. However, Debbie’s love and spirit for athletics still carries on at both Lehigh University and here at OHS.
The Powderpuff game was also played in remembrance of Ava Solonia. Ava was a former student-athlete at Oceanside High School. She played on the varsity lacrosse team both her freshman and sophomore years. At 16 years old, Ava was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia and went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy before succumbing to her sickness. Soon “Ava’s Army” was created in support of the Salonia family. Ava’s sisters Angie and Ella are current students here and were a part of the Powderpuff game this yea. Ella (a senior), and Angie (a freshman) will be playing against each other this year, in honor of their sister.
The Biannual Circle of Pride dinner hosted by Athletic Pride is a night used to recognize all the Oceanside Alum that are featured in the Hall of Fame at OHS. This dinner is held every two years to welcome new inductees that have changed Oceanside athletic history. The club invites past athletes that went to Oceanside High School and recognizes teams and inducts them into the school’s Hall of Fame. Ex-students are eligible for being inducted into the Hall of Fame 10 years after their graduation from OHS, showing that they have made a difference in their sport or community. Some people that are in our Hall of Fame are Mr. Lyson, one of the advisors for Athletic Pride, and OHS girls soccer coach Danielle Chiera.
The Athletic Pride club serves as a reminder of the dedication and spirit of past and present athletes at OHS. By celebrating achievements and fostering school unity and competition, the club honors athletic strengths and community within the school. Through ongoing efforts, Athletic Pride inspires athletes to strive for excellence on and off the field.