An Exhaustive Collection Of Football Shirts Featuring Video Game Sponsorships
There are two things I love more than anything else in this world: football and video games. Sadly, I do not love football video games as much as I used to, but that does not mean that I don’t get to enjoy, and even occasionally get excited about, the two things coming together regardless. See, […]
There are two things I love more than anything else in this world: football and video games. Sadly, I do not love football video games as much as I used to, but that does not mean that I don’t get to enjoy, and even occasionally get excited about, the two things coming together regardless.
Which means that I’ve got a very soft spot for football shirts that also feature video games, and that usually means gaming companies appearing as as a sponsor on the front of the kit. A niche topic if ever there was one, but you’d be surprised how popular it is within many people’s wheelhouses, coming up constantly in features and roundups on sports sites, online stores, social media and, uh, major video game websites. Turns out loads of people who are into football shirts are also into video games!
The thing is, all those lists–and I include my own earlier effort here–end up being superficial at best, usually just covering a handful of shirts most fans are already aware of. That’s boring, so I felt like settling in and making a more comprehensive roundup, covering as many leagues, teams and decades as I could find.
I’m not saying this is every shirt ever made that features a video game sponsorship, but…it’s a lot.
If you asked a casual observer what their favourite video game sponsorship is, or even just the one they thought was the most famous, Fiorentina’s mid-90s Nintendo deal is normally the response. It’s iconic, not just because it’s Nintendo, but because the sponsor matches the club’s colour scheme, and the team at the time could boast legends like Gabriel Batistuta.
Again, it’s Nintendo, and again, it matches the club’s colours. Plus Diego Maradona wore it during his one-season spell at the Spanish side before his ill-fated 1994 World Cup campaign.
I’ve written extensively about this club and its ties with Nintendo, which run so deep (and feature everything from Mario Sunshine to Splatoon) I can’t possibly condense them into a single paragraph. So go read this instead.
We’re going to see a few PlayStation shirts in this roundup, but this Montpellier kit, for the original console, remains one of the nicest. Another French league club, Monaco, also had a PlayStation 1 sponsorship around the same time.
There may have been others, but when it comes to French clubs and PlayStation sponsorship Auxerre is easily the most famous. The club’s PlayStation contract spanned multiple consoles, from the PS1 through to the PS2, and this wetsuit-like away kit is probably my favourite.
An epilogue! Auxerre and PlayStation went so hand-in-hand that in 2005-06 their Uhlsport kits went as far as moving the manufacturer’s logo under the neck to accommodate a second PlayStation branding on the same shirt, this time for the PSP.
Image: Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders
Few video game sponsorships have been as comprehensive as that between Microsoft and the Seattle Sounders, a club that wasn’t just from the same city as the Xbox, but even shared the same volt green colour palette. Their deal, spanning several years, saw Sounders jerseys emblazoned with everything from Xbox to Game Pass to Xbox Live to individual games like Halo and Gears of War. More recently, Xbox also sponsored Fresh Ego FC, a group that uses football “to raise awareness surrounding mental health and racism in football by bringing together top talent from sport and music”.
Another classic, and if you didn’t rank Fiorentina as the most famous video game sponsorship, you’re probably saying this turn-of-the-millennium masterpiece in its place. But Sega’s console didn’t just grace the front of Henry, Bergkamp and co’s shirts; in the same timeframe they also sponsored St Etienne, Deportivo de la Coruña and Sampdoria, whose away shirt replaced Dreamcast with Dreamarena, the console’s ill-fated online service.
What’s this? Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham sharing a sponsor? Not quite: in the mid-90s Spurs were sponsored by Holsten, a beer company, so the club’s juniors kits had to bear the logo of a company that was a bit more child-friendly. Also, this contract was up before Sega’s appearance on Arsenal’s kits. This same conundrum was repeated 20 years later, when Crystal Palace, at the time sponsored by an online casino, got an EA Sports sponsorship for their junior sides.
In early 90s Chelsea were sponsored by Commodore, and would wear the logos of both the parent company as well as its Amiga computer. I’ve chosen Amiga for the photo here because other clubs wore the Commodore branding first, and better….
…and one of those clubs was German powerhouses Bayern Munich, whose white Commodore sponsors in the mid-80s looked incredible on those all-red shirts. Bayern also wore an Amiga shirt, but only for a single match, in 1988 against VfB Stuttgart.
In the late-90s Manchester City struck a deal with British publisher Eidos, the company behind Tomb Raider, the original Deus Ex and Thief.
Image: Classic Football Shirts
FC Martigues
FC Martigues, a team in France’s second division, were once sponsored not by Ocean, the once-mighty British publisher, but one of Ocean’s games in particular: the PC version of Jurassic Park, not to be confused with the SNES version, or the Mega Drive version, as all three were different games. What makes this even more interesting is that for the white away shirt they just…made the Jurassic Park logo bigger and replaced the club’s crest with Ocean’s logo, something that would be gross even by today’s standards.
Japanese side Cerezo Osaka have had a long relationship with hometown heroes Capcom, which in recent years has seen the publisher’s logo appear everywhere from training shirts to shorts. Their 90s kits, though, with Capcom on the front and back of the shirt, are obviously the most famous.
Another Japanese club with a famous video game collaboration was Tokyo Verdy in the 90s, who had Konami sponsorships on the sleeves, the front of the kit and sometimes, like above, both at the same time.
Image: Lazio
Lazio
I hate this sponsorship so much. It’s so lazy–looking like someone just dragged the game’s logo.png onto a shirt and hit “print”, without any thought to scale or colours–but also it’s Lazio, and fuck Lazio.
Image: Konami
Corinthians
A decade later than Lazio’s deal, Brazilian side Corinthians also did a sponsorship with Konami for PES2019, which included a licensing deal for the game itself (see above). Note that the PES logo is for some reason at the bottom of the shirt, making it only visible if a player’s jersey was untucked. Fellow Brazilian side Sao Paolo had a similar PES sponsorship that year, too.
Back to Japan! JEF United have had a few shirts with Sega sponsorship, some with just the logo, others also featuring Sonic. Not for any game in particular, just because he’s Sonic. I like this keeper shirt worn between 1993-1995 the best.
Sports Interactive, developers of the Football Manager series, sponsored AFC Wimbledon between 2002-2023, sometimes using their own logo, other times that of the game. Football Manager also appeared on Watford’s kits in 2012.
Image: Swindon Town
Swindon Town
Swindon Town–a club that has spent most of the last two decades in the lower two divisions of English league football–had a prominent FIFA sponsorship on the front of their kits for a few years through the 2010s, enough to land them on many of these kinds of roundups, though they weren’t actually the first, that honour going to Accrington Stanley in 2006 and Mansfield Town in 2007.
Image: Club America
Club America
This is a fresh one! Bandai Namco had a one-off sponsorship deal with Club America earlier this month, and it’s one of the best: holographic player names and numbers, full of Pac-Man visuals, looked amazing, and the club’s crest was temporarily changed to include Pac-Man as well.
For a while in the early 2000s French side Lyon were sponsored by Infogrames, a publisher which at the time was using Atari as a sub-label for their publishing operations. So Atari would sometimes feature on Lyon’s kits as well (Infogrames would later rebrand to Atari in 2003).
For one season in the mid-90s, Atletico Madrid were sponsored by Bandai, which was cool, but even cooler was the fact that for a single game–the Madrid derby with rivals Real–they wore a Tamagotchi kit instead.
Image: EA Sports
Premier League Referees
Not strictly a playing kit, but close enough: for years now EA Sports has had a deal with the Premier League where combinations of EA Sports, FIFA and now EAFC logos have appeared on official’s uniforms.
Image: Stevenage
Stevenage Town
I hate the Lazio + PES deal the most for political reasons, but Stevenage Town’s pathetic Prime Gaming sponsorship from a few years back comes a very close second. It’s just so boring. It’s a pointless service, and even the sponsorship application itself is cheap, looking more like an iron-on transfer. In case you were wondering if things have improved since, Stevenage are currently sponsored by another video game company…Xsolla, a games-focused payments and commerce platform. Boring!
See above. While Golf Crush made it look like every Burnley kit was on deep discount at Sports Direct, at least Everton’s Angry Birds deal managed to match the rest of the shirt.
For two seasons, between 1995-1997, English club Leyton Orient were sponsored by Acclaim, the publisher riding high with hits like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat. It should be noted that Orient were not riding quite as high at the time.
Image: Charly
Liga MX
In 2024 Activision made a deal with both a sportswear manufacturer (Charly) and six sides playing in Mexico’s Liga MX, which saw each Charly team wear special shirts emblazoned with Call of Duty graphics. Note there were no specific Activision or even Call of Duty logos used; instead each shirt had a sublimated print of stuff like a camouflage pattern or skull logo from the series.
Image: Athletic Club
Athletic Club
Another recent one! Earlier this month Spanish side Athletic Club, aka Athletic Bilbao, wore The Last Of Us branding for two games, one across the chest, another on their sleeves. While this is technically for the TV show, it’s a TV show based very closely on a video game, so I’m going to allow it.
Hey, it’s Atletico Madrid again! This time with another limited sponsorship, from the 2004-2005 season, where the team wore a variety of movie tie-ins (including the famous Spider-Man shirt). One of those movies was Resident Evil 2, which for the same rules as The Last Of Us above, I’m going to allow.
Image: Stonewall FC
Stonewall FC
In 2020 EA Sports began sponsoring Stonewall FC, “the world’s most successful LGBT+ football club”, a deal that continues to this day. Some shirts have featured the EA Sports logo, others that of EA Sports FC, and the club’s full range of kits usually combine to form (or are, like the shirt above, simply in) the colours of the trans flag. They rule.
Image: Juventus
Juventus
Cygames, the Japanese developer behind games like Granblue Fantasy, has been sponsoring Juventus for a few seasons now, and recently renewed the deal to extend until at least 2026.
Image: YouTube
Santos
For the Copa Libertadores final in 2021, Brazilian club Santos signed a one-off sponsorship with Epic Games that saw Fortnite’s logo placed centrally (among loads of other sponsors) on the front of their kits. Santos would end up losing the final to Palmeiras.
Between 2000-2002 Midas Games, a publisher of bargain-bin favourites like American Pool and Go Go Golf, sponsored Sheffield United in what was then still known as Division Two (and is now the Championship).
Image: San Diego Loyal
San Diego Loyal
The Loyal are sadly no longer with us, having been “dissolved” as American sports likes to call it, in 2023. We’ll always have the memories of this Rocket League sponsorship, though, which adorned their kits in 2022.
Texas Longhorns Second Program to Win Titles in Softball, Basketball, Volleyball
After securing their first softball national championship win on June 6, the Texas Longhorns became just the second school in history to hold national titles in softball, volleyball and basketball. UCLA stands as the only other school that has accomplished this feat, and both schools are recognized for having strong athletic programs across the board. […]
After securing their first softball national championship win on June 6, the Texas Longhorns became just the second school in history to hold national titles in softball, volleyball and basketball.
UCLA stands as the only other school that has accomplished this feat, and both schools are recognized for having strong athletic programs across the board.
The Longhorns adding a softball title to their list of accolades comes during their third Women’s College World Series championship appearance in four years. Their other two appearances in the tournament final these past few years have been against the Oklahoma Sooners, who have won the previous four titles consecutively.
Jun 6, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Texas Longhorns infielder Joley Mitchell (9) smiles as she holds the National Championship trophy after the Longhorns defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 10-4 in game three of the NCAA Softball Women’s College World Series finals at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images / Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
This year, Texas faced Texas Tech in the championship, taking them down 10-4 in Game 3 to secure a 2-1 series victory.
Texas’ acquisition of this year’s title not only helps their softball team increase their status amongst other college programs, but helps elevate their athletics program as a whole.
Softball, volleyball and basketball are three major women’s sports at the collegiate level, so the fact that Texas now has titles in all three of them speaks to the strength of their athletic department’s commitment to women’s sports.
The Texas women’s basketball team obtained their sole title during the 1985-86 season under the head coaching of Jodi Condradt. Her team finished that season with a perfect record of 34-0, and the title victory would become a very significant part of her 31 season tenure as Texas head coach.
Now, with head coach Vic Schaefer to guide the team, they look to make another run at winning the national championship. The team made it to the final four this year and is ranked highly in preseason polls.
As far as volleyball goes, the Longhorns have five titles to their name, the most recent being in 2023.
Texas has achieved success this year across several sports, and earning a championship win in softball helps serve as a tangible marker of their strength as an athletics department.
Vermont high school track and field: U-32 state championship sweep
U-32 remained on top. In a year of state records, Hartford’s Bennett Moreno surprised himself with an historic run. And Middlebury sprinter Jazmyn Hurley cruised to more individual hardware. Despite wet conditions, the track and field stars of Division II continued to shine bright on Friday. The U-32 girls and boys swept the team competition […]
U-32 remained on top. In a year of state records, Hartford’s Bennett Moreno surprised himself with an historic run. And Middlebury sprinter Jazmyn Hurley cruised to more individual hardware.
Despite wet conditions, the track and field stars of Division II continued to shine bright on Friday.
The U-32 girls and boys swept the team competition for the seventh time since 2013, Moreno shattered his own divisional record in the 1,500 meters, slipping under the 4-minute barrier, and Hurley captured the 100 and 200 one year after a three-win performance during the D-II state championships at Burlington’s D.G. Weaver Athletic Complex.
The U-32 boys racked up 167 points to runner-up Hartford’s 80 to claim the second of back-to-back crowns and their 10th state title overall since 2013. The Raider girls, meanwhile, surged to a five-peat with 138 total points, out-distancing Rice (88).
Complete results, scores Vermont high school track and field state championships 2025
“We take the team competition really seriously. It’s a big focus for us,” U-32 coach Andrew Tripp said. “We knew we were the favorites and we knew that we didn’t need any heroics, that’s what we told the kids before (the meet).
“No one had to be Superman today. We just had to do what we’ve done all year and we’d be good. And they did that.”
Depth, star power prevail for U-32 program
Ginger Long headlined the U-32 girls in her final state meet. The senior captured the 1,500 (4:51.57) and 800 (2:22.67) and ran a leg on U-32’s victorious 4×400 relay squad. Counting her success across cross-country, indoor and outdoor track, Long rolled up 12 individual state crowns in her career.
Long’s teammate, Madison Beaudoin, finished second to Long in 1,500 and 800, and was also a member of the winning 4×400.
“Between (Long) and (Beaudoin), I’ll probably never coach two women like that again, ever,” Tripp said. “Arguably, two of the best athletes in the history of the school. And they both showed out (Friday). There are lot of girls who had amazing days.”
Indeed. Morgan Towne totaled 26 points in four individual events, Clara Maker won the 300 hurdles (49.41), placed second in the 100 hurdles and was on the winning 4×100 and 4×400 relay squads, Isobel Kobel captured the 400 (1:00.44) and Adeline Cannella racked up 16 points.
For the U-32 boys, Cavan Farrell swept the 110 hurdles (16.08) and 300 hurdles (16.64), the Raiders swept all three relays, Zackary Parton swiped runner-up spots in long jump and high jump, and Noah Kopsco’s big day included first in the 400 (51.15).
Kopsco, Farrell, Drew Frostick and Josh Pearson made up U-32’s first-place 4×100. Frostick, Kopsco, Wyatt Mallory and Andrew McKinstry were on the winning 4×400. And McKinstry, Asa Dorfman, Oren Winters and Sawyer Tootle formed the victorious 4×800 for U-32.
“We are a really strong program and we take a lot of pride in that,” Tripp said.
Bennett Moreno dusts 1,500 D-II record in 3:58.48
Less than a week after lowering his 800 D-II record to 1:51.60 at Essex Invitational, Moreno felt under the weather leading up to Friday’s D-II state meet. He wasn’t expecting to challenge his 1,500 D-II record of 4:00.11, but U-32’s Cole Page pushed the pace.
And Moreno saw his opportunity. With a lap to go, Moreno said he knew he could close strong, clipping the line at 3:58.48. Moreno is the first D-II runner to break 4 minutes in the 1,500.
“I said, ‘All right, let’s do this. Whatever I got,'” Moreno said. “That led me to a 3:58. I was not in that mentality, but it switches once you’re in it.”
Vermont high school track and field: Bennett Moreno resets record
Hartford senior Bennett Moreno broke his Division II state record in the 1,500 during the D-II track and field championships at Burlington on June 6.
Moreno said the 800 record means more to him.
“The 1,500 is special and I’m so glad I found it, but the 800 is always going to be where my heart lies,” he said.
As of Friday, June 6, Moreno owns five D-II records: 800 and 1,500 in outdoor and 600, 1,000 and 1,500 for indoor. The senior will compete at New Englands and then nationals.
After setting records, Jazmyn Hurley races to 100-200 double
At the Essex Invitational, Hurley buried the 100 and 200 records for D-II. They have been long-fulfilled goals for Hurley. But Friday’s rainy weather and slick track surface made it difficult to top those times less than six days later.
Still, Hurley charged in with comfortable wins, 12.69 in the 100 and 26.10 in the 200. The Middlebury College-bound senior finishes her career with 11 individual state titles from indoor and outdoor combined.
“It was still fun, I had a nice time,” said Hurley, who will race at New Englands.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter:@aabrami5.
DIVISION II GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team scores: 1. U-32 138; 2. Rice 88; T3. Montpelier, Lake Region 42; 5. Harwood 39; 6. Fair Haven 37; 7. Lyndon 31; 8. Hartford 24; 9. Middlebury 20; 10. Woodstock 17; T11. Lamoille, Milton 16; 13. Mount Abraham 14.
3,000: 1. Jay Borland, Mont 9:04.12; 2. Samuel Brondyke, Mont 9:05.52; 3. Ben Warfield, U-32 9:11.41; 4. Zeb Whitlock, Lam 9:19.21; 5. Oren Winters, U-32 9:24.49; 6. Luke Murphy, 9:33.32.
No. 13 Baseball Edges No. 4 Auburn in Super Regional Thriller
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AUBURN, Ala. — Caden Bodine’s second home run of the night — and his first since March — lifted No. 13 Coastal Carolina to a 7-6, 10-inning win over No. 4 Auburn in Game 1 of the NCAA Baseball Auburn Super Regional early Saturday morning at Plainsman Park. […]
AUBURN, Ala. — Caden Bodine’s second home run of the night — and his first since March — lifted No. 13 Coastal Carolina to a 7-6, 10-inning win over No. 4 Auburn in Game 1 of the NCAA Baseball Auburn Super Regional early Saturday morning at Plainsman Park.
Following a weather delay of one hour and 46 minutes, play resumed at 11:45 p.m. CT, and the Chanticleers (52-11) eventually pulled out their 10th extra-inning win of the season behind four home runs, two apiece from Bodine and Blagen Pado. The win pushes Coastal within one victory of its first College World Series appearance since 2016.
Bodine broke a 6-6 tie with a solo blast to right in the top of the 10th, then helped close the door defensively. The junior catcher also threw out two would-be base stealers, giving him 45 career caught-stealing throws — just one shy of tying the program record of 46 set by Matt Beaird (2015–18).
Pado matched Bodine’s output with two home runs, including a three-run shot in a four-run fourth inning that gave Coastal a 6-1 lead at the time. It marked the first time since March 25, 2016 (Tyler Chadwick and Michael Paez vs. Stetson), that two Chanticleers each homered twice in the same game.
Walker Mitchell was hit by a pitch in the 10th, setting a single-season school record with his 31st HBP.
The game lasted 3 hours and 23 minutes, not including the weather stoppage, and ended just after 2:30 a.m. local time. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
Notebook: Coastal Carolina 7, Auburn 6 (10 inn.)
Big Bats Return: Caden Bodine hit his first home runs since March 11 vs. Wake Forest, bringing his season total to five. He finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBI.
Pado Power: Blagen Pado also went deep twice, giving him eight homers on the year. He finished with a game-high four RBI.
Record Watch: Bodine now has 45 career runners caught stealing, one shy of tying Coastal’s all-time mark.
Mitchell Hit Again: Walker Mitchell was plunked for the 31st time in 2025, setting the program’s single-season record.
Home Run Surge: Coastal tied its season high with four home runs in a game. The Chants previously hit four in their 18-7 win over East Carolina in the Conway Regional.
Pitching Carousel: Cameron Flukey started and allowed three runs in five innings. Dominick Carbone surrendered three more over two innings, but Matthew Potok and Ryan Lynch (save No. 8) held Auburn scoreless over the final three frames.
Lightning Delay: The game was halted at 9:59 p.m. CT due to lightning and resumed at 11:45 p.m.
Clutch Defense: Coastal turned two double plays and threw out two runners on the bases — including a 10th-inning twin killing to end the game.
Series Continues: Game 2 is set for 3 p.m. ET Saturday. A Chanticleers win sends them to Omaha.
Building your adventure: CIA veteran shares an inspiring story about courage with graduates | National
One of the greatest joys about being retired from CIA is the opportunity I now enjoy to immerse myself in our local community, especially the schools where my kids and their pals spend their days in class and on the sports fields. After all, freedom of opportunity in our glorious country starts with a good […]
One of the greatest joys about being retired from CIA is the opportunity I now enjoy to immerse myself in our local community, especially the schools where my kids and their pals spend their days in class and on the sports fields.
After all, freedom of opportunity in our glorious country starts with a good education.
Around this time of year I’m always honored to speak with high school seniors who are about to take a momentous step forward toward building their own adventure. My message to them invokes one of the most courageous and inspirational people I’ve ever met, Gib Smith.
I first met Gib in the late 1980s when we were assistant swim coaches for the Capital Sea Devils, based in Washington, D.C. In addition to coaching, we both swam the morning practice with the older kids ages 12 to 18 from 5 to 7 a.m.
I’M BUILDING HOPE ON CHICAGO’S NOTORIOUS SOUTH SIDE
Gib, who had swum all through high school and for James Madison University, was the fastest swimmer in the pool. He and I were both in our early 20s and from the moment we met, I admired Gib for being such a strong swimmer even though our days of competing in water polo and college swim meets were long behind us.
But what made Gib’s swimming prowess so extraordinary was that he was also fighting cancer. Having been diagnosed with leukemia shortly after graduating from college, Gib would show up for practice even after having been subjected to arduous cancer treatment the day before.
He inspired all of us, including future Olympian Tom Dolan, who was then only 12 years old and just starting to come into his own as a brilliant long distance and individual medley swimmer. I fondly remember good-naturedly teasing Tom, asking how it was that Gib was crushing him in practice even while recovering from another round of radiation.
In 1988, Gib raised $12,000 for the National Cancer Institute by competing in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge swim race held each year in early June. Even while fighting cancer, Gib was building his own adventure.
MAKE COLLEGE COMMENCEMENTS BORING AGAIN
Adventure implies getting outside one’s comfort zone, which is especially challenging for cancer patients. That’s why Gib’s story should resonate with high school graduates as they take the next step in what can often feel like a daunting new chapter in their lives.
First, few high school graduates have escaped some adversity in their lives, perhaps on the sports field, or God forbid as was the case for my own children, family trauma. But as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
In the words of my former boss at CIA Dave Petraeus, Gib overcame adversity by staying “fit to fight.” Swimming 6,000-yard practices each morning defined Gib’s will to overcome adversity by never ever giving up.
Second, high school graduates should already be thinking about connecting with something larger than themselves by making a valuable contribution to their community, maybe even to our nation or beyond. Gib was not only empathically thinking of other cancer patients, he also impacted the rest of us.
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Anyone who might have been weary at the end of swim practice only had to glance over at Gib fighting through the pain with every bit of strength he had. We were all better swimmers because of him. And for years at CIA and now in retirement, there has hardly been a day that goes by when I do not think of Gib, and the shining example he set.
Third, as they start preparing to make important life decisions, high school graduates should be asking themselves this significant question: Why?
In the words of my SEAL Team Six friends, Gib planned the dive and dove the plan. He was swimming through brackish Chesapeake Bay water overflowing with jellyfish that morning because that’s how he chose to fight cancer and do his part to help others suffering the same cruelly arbitrary fate. We should strive to be honest with ourselves about the reasons for our big life decisions.
Gib successfully completed the grueling two-hour, 4-5-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge race despite the frigid water and strong currents. He also beat cancer, earned a law degree, got married and had two children, who are now grown up and on to building their own adventures.
So go forth, high school graduates, and take inspiration from the great ones around you as you choose your path in life’s great adventure.
Holland Christian volleyball’s run to finals ends with state runner-up
HUDSONVILLE – The Holland Christian volleyball players took turns posing with a trophy after the match on Saturday. It just wasn’t the trophy they wanted. “I had no expectations of holding up the championship trophy going into the season,” senior Grant VanderZee said. “Of course you hope for it. But at the end of the […]
HUDSONVILLE – The Holland Christian volleyball players took turns posing with a trophy after the match on Saturday.
It just wasn’t the trophy they wanted.
“I had no expectations of holding up the championship trophy going into the season,” senior Grant VanderZee said. “Of course you hope for it. But at the end of the day, holding up any trophy is pretty cool for our guys.”
The Holland Christian boys volleyball team lost in three sets – 25-21, 25-18 and 25-18 – to Lowell in the Division 2 state championship at Hudsonville High School on Saturday.
“This season was crazy,” junior Jacob Tinholt said. “Coming in with three people that had never played volleyball before. No one really expected us to go very far. It’s special to play in a game like this.”
More: Holland Christian boys volleyball serves way into Division 2 state finals
More: Holland Christian volleyball wins five-set comeback stunner to reach state semifinals
More: Grant VanderZee is first ever Mr. Volleyball of Michigan, leads HC to regional title
The Maroons finished with an impressive 36-9 record.
“We played good,” coach Mark Walraven said. “But Lowell played great, though. We were outmatched. We didn’t do anything wrong, it just wasn’t our day. I’m proud of the guys. They put their heart and soul into the season.”
Lowell was dominant from the start. Holland Christian only had one lead the entire day, when it was 3-1 early in Game 2. The Red Arrows defense at the net neutralized the heaving hitting of VanderZee, a 6-foot-6 big hitter, who is Michigan’s Mr. Volleyball Award winner.
“We played a great game and good defense,” VanderZee said. “Our hits weren’t going down. They did a nice job blocking. They outplayed us.”
Senior Spencer Walraven, the team’s setter, said he loved how this season played out.
“We had a lot of new guys this year,” he said. “Lots of guys that had never touched a volleyball. It was fun to grow into a good team.”
Best friends will be roommates in college
Saturday’s game was the last for seniors VanderZee and Spencer Walraven. But they won’t be parting ways. The duo will be roommates in college when they head to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
“We grind together, we get after it,” VanderZee said of Walraven. “It’s nice to have someone who is just as dedicated as me. Not only in volleyball, but in life in general is a real blessing. He’s my best friend and we’re going to college together.”
Grand Canyon recently got rid of its men’s volleyball program. But that doesn’t mean the Holland Christian duo are done playing. They plan to team together in the school’s club beach volleyball program.
“I’m gonna play with Grant in college,” Walraven said.
Coaching his son was ‘an honor’
Coach Mark Walraven admits it isn’t always easy to coach your own kid. But it went pretty smooth for him coaching his son, Spencer.
“It was awesome,” Mark said. “A privilege, really. It’s tough sometimes. But we have a great relationship. It truly was an honor to coach him and the rest of the team. We’ve got some great memories.”
Spencer said it was special.
“I love it,” he said. “We had lots of dinner-time conversations and talking about the type of lineups and stuff. It’s been bigger than volleyball at the end of the day. It’s been so much fun.”
Image Credit: Getty Images Coco Gauff has been one of the most popular names in American sports since 2019 when she became the youngest player in the Wimbledon Championships to qualify for the main draw. At the time, Coco was just 15 years old, and she defeated Venus Williams. After years of dedication and hard […]
Coco Gauff has been one of the most popular names in American sports since 2019 when she became the youngest player in the Wimbledon Championships to qualify for the main draw. At the time, Coco was just 15 years old, and she defeated Venus Williams. After years of dedication and hard work, the Atlanta, Georgia, native won her first French Open title in 2025.
During a press conference following her 2025 victory, Coco noted that there is “a lot going on in our country right now with things,” according to The Guardian, likely referring to the sweeping changes after the 2024 presidential election. Coco, however, acknowledged that she represents “people that look like me in America who maybe don’t feel as supported during this time period.”
“I remember after the election and everything, it kind of felt like a down period a little bit, and my mom told me during Riyadh: ‘Just try to win the tournament just to give something for people to smile for,’” Coco added. “So, that’s what I was thinking about today when holding that. And then, seeing the flags in the crowd means a lot. … Some people may feel some type of way about being patriotic and things like that, but I’m definitely patriotic and proud to be American, and I’m proud to represent the Americans that look like me and people who kind of support the things that I support.”
Below, learn more about Coco’s career.
How Did Coco Gauff Get Rich?
Coco gradually built her overall fortune over the years through endorsement deals and her earnings from victories.
What Is Coco Gauff’s Net Worth?
Coco has exponentially increased her net worth over the years after winning multiple matches. As of June 2025, she has a net worth of $35 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.
According to Forbes, Coco has built a salary of about $9.4 million, and her endorsements have totaled about $25 million.
What Is Coco Gauff’s Ranking Now?
Coco is currently second in the world in women’s tennis, and Aryna Sabalenka is still No. 1.
