by Lauryn Chavez | staff writer

The Ian’s Cup is only days away. Johnson’s rivalry with Reagan continues this soccer season with the Ian’s Cup. The Jaguars took the cup last year and plan to bring it back home again this February. Not only is the Ian’s cup fueling the rivalry with Reagan, but it is also supporting a great cause.

“Ian’s Foundation was formed in memory of our son, Ian Fincke, who passed away tragically at the age of 16 from a traumatic brain injury sustained during a longboarding accident. The foundation was formed to advance the safety and welfare of San Antonio youth through education and scholarship awards.  The loss of a child can be profoundly heartbreaking, but the loss of a child that could have been prevented is even more devastating. Our goal with Ian’s Foundation is to make a difference in the lives of our youth and prevent another family from suffering a tragic loss,” Stefanie Fincke said.

The Ian’s cup has been a fun way to compete with Reagan and support Ian’s foundation. This year it will be the 10th annual Ian’s Cup, formally known as the Fincke Cup. The Ian’s foundation provides helmets to kids in need of them, and they award scholarships to soccer players from both Reagan and Johnson.

“The foundation gives helmet safety talks at local schools throughout San Antonio and has launched a helmet safety campaign. To date over 1,450 helmets have been given away in San Antonio and the surrounding area. Our ultimate goal is to have a youth helmet safety law passed in San Antonio to help protect our youth,” Fincke said.

Everyone can help contribute to the foundation by purchasing an “Ian’s cup” shirt.

“Yes they should buy the t shirts they are so so cool. There’s green, there’s purple, which was Ian’s favorite color, which is why tye dye and purple are the main colors of Ian’s cup. There’s Columbia blue and then this year they’re adding a black as well. And there’s long sleeve, short sleeve, a dry fit, and a cotton blend. They’re really cool,” soccer coach Kelsey Mire said.

The wide variety of shirts you can get is even larger than last years with the introduction of a black Ian’s cup shirt. The Ian’s cup will be on a Friday, February 22nd. The boys will play at 5pm and the girls at 7pm. 

“It’s a really fun atmosphere at the end they give out the scholarships to deserving seniors from each team and that’s really cool to see. And it’s even more fun when you get to hoist the trophy up and bring it home, it makes it even sweeter,” Mire said.

Finke attended both Reagan and Johnson, which is the reason for the exclusive rival game.

“It’s super super fun and it is a great cause and it’s just a fun rivalry. We love to beat Reagan in all things and particularly in soccer,” Mire said.

You can visit the Ian’s Cup website here for information about the games, scholarships, the Ian’s cup apparel, and other information.