ORGANIZATION AWARDS $15,000 TO SIX AREA STUDENTS FOR EXEMPLIFYING CLASS AND SELFLESSNESS ON THE PLAYING FIELD
ST. LOUIS – May 28, 2025 – Nicolas Della Croce (St. John Vianney High School), Cooper Bellchamber (Valley Park High School), Sophia Boren (Ft. Zumwalt North High School), Jeremiah Carroll (Lutheran North High School), Emma Eiswirth (Pattonville High School), and Will Scherer (Lindbergh High School) are the recipients of the 2025 Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarships. The scholarships are awarded by the St. Louis Sports Commission’s young professionals group – the Sports Commission Associates – and recognize high school seniors from the region who embody outstanding sportsmanship. The six students were selected by the Associates’ scholarship committee, which reviewed nominations from throughout the St. Louis area.
Della Croce is a graduate of St. John Vianney High School and received the top scholarship award of $10,000 in recognition of his exemplary track record of sportsmanship, selflessness, and character throughout his high school athletic career. He will continue his education at Kansas State University.
In his scholarship application essay, Della Croce wrote, “In a world where everything is about winning and being the best no matter the cost, I still believe that excellent core values such as sportsmanship will always prevail.”
The other five recipients were awarded $1,000 scholarships. Bellchamber and Boren are set to continue their education at the University of Missouri. Carroll will attend the University of Kansas; Eiswirth is headed to Lynn University; Scherer will enroll at Northern Michigan University.
“We hear so often about what’s wrong with kids today, but these young men and women are exactly what’s right with kids today,” said Solomon Alexander, director of the Sports Commission’s affiliated St. Louis Sports Foundation. “The tremendous example these six young people have set for their classmates, siblings, and their entire communities is worthy of significant recognition, which is what the Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship seeks to honor.”
Bios highlighting all six scholarship recipients and the reasons for their selection appear later in this release. Their photos are available at sportsmanship.org/scholarship.
The Sports Commission Associates created the Sportsmanship Scholarship in 2009 to recognize and reward local high school seniors for their kindness, integrity, selflessness, and civility in athletic competition. The Associates have since awarded more than $237,000 to 72 deserving young people. The scholarship program supports the mission of the Sports Commission’s affiliated St. Louis Sports Foundation, which celebrates and elevates sportsmanship in the community. Candidates are evaluated strictly on their approach, character, and respect for others on the playing field – athletic performance does not factor in the selection – making the Sportsmanship Scholarship unique.
In addition to choosing the recipients of the scholarship, the Sports Commission Associates raise funds to maintain the program. The Associates will host a golf tournament fundraiser called the Sportsmanship Classic on Saturday, July 19 at The Courses at Forest Park to support the scholarship. More information on the golf event can be found at stlsports.org/sportsmanship-classic.
The Sportsmanship Scholarship is named in honor of the late Carl Fricks, who embodied the virtues of sportsmanship. Through this gesture, the Associates recognized the selfless efforts of Carl’s daughter, Holly Yoakum, who chaired the group and was a champion for the scholarship initiative. Holly passed away unexpectedly in 2017, leaving so many friends and colleagues heartbroken. The Sports Commission and the Associates are dedicated to honoring Holly’s memory and legacy by growing the Sportsmanship Scholarship and carrying out her passion for doing good in the community.
2025 Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship Recipients:
Nicolas Della Croce
Nicolas has exemplified the Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship’s core values of integrity, selflessness, kindness, and character throughout his high school athletic career. One striking example cited by his cross country coach describes a race in which Nic was on pace for a personal best but noticed a competitor who was visibly struggling and appearing disoriented. Instead of forging ahead, Nic ran alongside the struggling athlete, encouraging him all the way to the finish line. Also a standout on the wrestling mat, Nic was thrust into a position to wrestle against an opponent with special needs. There were no special requests from the opposing wrestler’s coaches, only to make Nic aware of the situation. As the match began, Nic clearly knew he could win the match very quickly, but instead of pinning his opponent right away, he allowed the wrestler to work on his moves and earn some points in the match. Nic’s opponent became excited to be scoring some points in a match as he hadn’t experienced that before. Nic eventually did win the match, but afterwards, his opponent’s coaches thanked Nic for allowing the kid to wrestle as no other competitors had let him enjoy a match all season, they had all exploited his weaknesses immediately.
Cooper Bellchamber
Cooper’s body of work exudes sportsmanship. He is the first to offer a hand to a fallen opponent, the first to thank the referees at the end of each game, and the first to uplift a discouraged teammate or competitor. Cooper’s soccer coach said he has personally witnessed Cooper extend genuine praise and encouragement to opposing players after tough losses or hard-fought games. One moment that stands out occurred during a district soccer match when an opposing player missed a crucial penalty kick. Instead of celebrating the miss, Cooper walked over, patted the player on the back, and offered words of encouragement. That moment captured Cooper’s unwavering respect for the game and his empathy for others, especially those outside his circle.
Sophia Boren
Sophia’s commitment to sportsmanship is ingrained, according to her swim coach. At every meet, she remains in the water until the last swimmer finishes, offering genuine encouragement. Following each competition, she respectfully shakes hands with opponents and thanks officials. She proactively welcomes and assists visiting teams, creating a positive atmosphere for all. Sophia’s compassion and selflessness are evident in her unwavering support for struggling swimmers. She consistently urges teammates to rally around competitors, especially novices or those facing challenging events. Her empathy and desire for everyone’s success are truly inspiring.
Jeremiah Carroll
Jeremiah’s soccer coach noted that Jeremiah “competes the right way.” In a sports landscape that often glamorizes trash talking, Jeremiah is the opposite. Whether his team is winning or losing, his coach has heard Jeremiah compliment opposing players during games. Jeremiah has also consistently kept a cool head when a referee makes a questionable call, communicating with the official in a calm manner. His coach cited numerous examples of Jeremiah being a leader who competes hard to win but maintains a mature perspective and displays humility toward opponents no matter if his own skills exceed theirs or not.
Emma Eiswirth
Emma is always thinking of others before herself and embodies the values of sportsmanship. She stated in her scholarship application essay that one of her proudest moments came when she noticed a swimmer pacing nervously in the ready room before her race. Though she was one of Emma’s competitors, Emma realized she was struggling, walked over and reminded her of everything she had already accomplished just to be there. After the race, when the other girl touched the wall first, they hugged and she told Emma her words of encouragement helped her focus. At a sectionals meet, Emma noticed one swimmer from another team racing in her lane with no one cheering for her. Emma made her way over and shouted encouragement. That swimmer won her heat and later thanked Emma for helping her push through.
Will Scherer
On the wrestling mat, Will is one of the best. But a special trait of Will’s is he also cares about other wrestlers, whether teammates or competitors. At a national tournament in North Dakota, Will overheard some coaches saying another wrestler likely wasn’t going to make weight the next day. Although Will needed to conserve energy and rest before the next day’s competition, he took it upon himself to locate the wrestler who was exercising alone in a dark parking lot trying to lose weight. He gave the competitor some advice on how to lose weight quickly and safely and loaned some clothing that would help him achieve that. With Will’s help, the wrestler was able to make weight and compete. Will said in his scholarship application essay, “No matter how ruthlessly competitive a sport like wrestling can get, it is important to always look at others as human beings first and not just possible competitors.”