York High School hosted its first-ever One Game, Many Languages event on Monday, September 22, at the Boys Varsity Soccer game against Oak Park River Forest High School. The celebration was created to bring together York’s multilingual families, highlight student culture clubs, and showcase the school’s spirit around one of the most globally loved sports — soccer.
Before the game, students and families gathered outside the stadium for food, giveaways, and activities that set the tone for the evening. Guests were encouraged to wear their favorite soccer jerseys as a way to connect through sport and show support for the Dukes.
Several York student organizations played an important role in the event, including Spanish Club, Latinos Unidos, Greek Club, French Club, Italian Club, and the Asian Youth Alliance. Each club had the opportunity to represent its culture and connect with families in attendance.
“The idea grew out of a building-wide goal to welcome and connect multilingual families to the York community by creating opportunities for parents to build relationships with one another, teachers, and administrators,” said York staff members Lisa Fraticola and Gabriel Medina. “Soccer is a game that transcends borders, and we wanted to harness that shared passion to give families a meaningful way to experience the energy of York. Above all, we hope everyone left with a deeper sense of connection to one another, to our school, and to the cultures that enrich our community.”
The evening concluded with fans filling the stands to cheer on the Dukes in their matchup against Oak Park River Forest, uniting York students, families, and staff for an evening of school pride and cultural celebration.
Special thanks to Kelley Rodriguez, Diane Oliveros, Eren Loza, Lisa Fraticola, Matt Johnson, and the Senior Leadership Team for their contributions during this event and for supporting the vision to create belonging through this celebration.