Stockbridge boys soccer team pays tribute to Mike Jones
by Cindy Lance
The Stockbridge Boys Varsity Soccer team came together with family and friends Oct. 2 to dedicate a new flagpole, stone and plaque in honor of Mike Jones. Jones, a big supporter of the program, passed away suddenly in April, leaving behind grieving family, friends and community.
Eddie Koch, 2019 Stockbridge High School graduate and co-captain for the 2018 season, wanted to do something in memory and appreciation of Jones. He and the soccer team started on a mission.
For many years, Jones had supported his sons and many other youth, either by coaching or assisting their various teams. Jones could be heard cheering on the team through every game, encouraging players to do their best. The team thought something at the field would be fitting, but it wasn’t until talking with Jones’ widow, Chris, that the plan formed for a perfect tribute.
Over the past few months, there has been a concerted effort to improve some athletic spaces at Stockbridge Jr./Sr. High School. The soccer field was slated to have electricity, a sound system and a new flagpole installed. The Boys Soccer team saw this as an opportunity and decided to raise funds and pay for the flagpole to honor Jones. Team members designed a plaque and Isaac Lance picked the rock to hold the plaque as part of a memorial.
The dedication ceremony took place before a varsity game. Jones had been a talented artist and one of his sculptures is located outside the Stockbridge Library. Other traces of his art can be found around the community. As a nod to his art, people were encouraged after the ceremony to dip their hand in washable paint and place it on the rock. They could leave their own mark of art for Mike Jones.
Chris Jones, proudly wearing her husband’s favorite Stockbridge hat, was joined at the ceremony by son Ethan, parents Skip and Sally Schlupe, sister Becky McEldery, friends Mike and Meg Spence, John Pulk, Jamie Kunzelman and her children Riley, Isabella, and Magnus.
“What you may not know about Mike, is that he loved American history and the American flag,” Chris Jones said after the ceremony. “He would often comment on the beauty of a flag, billowing in the wind, or would point out when a flag was being flown incorrectly or needed to be replaced.
“This pairing of the flag and the soccer pitch is a perfect tribute to Mike. It means the world to us to have Mike’s influence recognized by so many wonderful people in our community,” she continued.
The plaque now sits at the entrance to the soccer field, a place where Jones spent many hours cheering on his sons and the Stockbridge Boys Soccer team. His spirit lives on.
Sally Schlupe, Meg and Mike Spence with the rock of art. Photo credit: Nicole Caroen
Luke Suojanen, Wilem Trevisan, Ben Young, John Pulk and Ethan Jones. Photo credit: Danielle Barbour
Isaac Lance, Gage Loso, Evan Williams, Luke Suojanen, Adam Twining, Wilem Trevisan, Ben Young, John Pulk. Photo credit: Danielle Barbour
Adam Twining, Isaac Lance, Devin Caroen, Evan Williams, Carson Oversmith, Zach Wilson. Photo credit: Nicole Caroen
Luke Suojanen, Jonah Huskey, Evan Williams. Photo credit: Nicole Caroen
