By Paige Jackson ’24
The Frederick Gunn School has begun a new tradition this fall: Athletes of the Week. Each week, coaches will recommend a player from their team that they find to have performed outstandingly and write a short description on why they believe the player is deserving of the title. The athletics department, specifically Mrs. White, selects one female student and one male student out of those who were recommended. After this, the prefect running school meeting will craft a slide with stellar action-shots of the athletes from their recent games and announce their accomplishments.
This week, the award was given to Seniors Emily Fonte and Andrew Rainville. As captain of the girl’s varsity soccer team, Fonte is praised for her expertise on the defensive line. Rainville, captain of boy’s varsity football, received the weekly title for his game-saving plays as running back and cornerback.
The Highlander Sportsdesk decided to interview the star athletes after their plaudits at school meeting in order to find out what being an athlete of the week felt like.
“I am very proud to be given this title and to be recognized out of all of the athletes at this school.” Emily Fonte explained. “It makes me feel very accomplished, and I am happy that my hard work is being recognized!”
“It feels pretty cool being athlete of the week. Everyone will come up to you and congratulate you, it’s great.” added Rainville, offering a more social perspective.
When asked about why she thought she deserved the award, Fonte answered that girls varsity soccer had “…two games last week against some of the best teams in the division, Rye Country Day and Cheshire Academy.” She continued to elaborate on the games’ content, as well as the amazing effort and teamwork put in by the defenders to keep the score low.
In previous weeks, the award was won by Jack Fonte ’26, Sofia Cuozzo ’25, Joe Shaker ’24, and Caroline Marich ’24. Athlete of the Week does not just mean a player performed well in a game or race, but it could also mean that the player showed great sportsmanship, or helped lead their team.
Sports are more than just games and races; they bring people together and teach collaboration. Joining a team can spark new friendships, passions, and skills that one would never expect. To earn this title is to exemplify all the wonderful qualities of being a complete teammate.
