By Ashley Pavlakis
Photo credit – Ashley Pavlakis
The Smithtown Bulls of East and West met twice last week in scrimmage matches honoring the memory of two of their own. The Bulls honored Diane Corey and Valarie Kratochvil when they hit the field.
The twenty-third annual Diane Corey Memorial Scholarship field hockey game took place Wednesday afternoon in another addition of Smithtown’s battle of the Bulls. The Bulls of East and West faced off at Pratt Field at High School West. Corey unfortunately passed away in 2002 from a car accident.
Diane Corey was a three-sport athlete who played her high school athletic career at Smithtown East. To honor her memory and love for field hockey, the Corey family established a scholarship in her name. The scholarship is given to seniors on both the East and West field hockey teams each season. The scholarship is awarded annually for their talents on the field as well as their role in their community and on the team. Approximately $840 was raised for the scholarship fund in Diane Corey’s name.
On Sunday afternoon, the Bulls met again for the Togetherness Tournament to honor Valarie Kratochvil. Joining the Bulls in the tournament hosted at Smithtown East were Bay Shore and Patchogue Medford high schools. Approximately $1,700 was raised on Sunday; the money will go toward a field hockey memorial scholarship that was started in Kratochvil’s name.
Valarie Kratochvil attended Smithtown East and was an active member of the field hockey and track & field teams during her time there. Kratochvil, a junior at the time, suddenly passed away last March. The Bulls have honored her in various ways since then, sporting baby blue bows with the number 16 on them, and wearing blue Smithtown East t-shirts that have a heart made of field hockey sticks and ‘VK’ in the middle on the shoulder.
This season, Smithtown East currently holds a record of 5-5-0 with 4 more contests remaining in the 2024 season. Across town, Smithtown West is sitting at 4-8-0 with 4 games left on the docket to secure a few more wins.
The sport of field hockey, at least in modern times, was first played back in the 19th century at public schools in England but has since become a global sport. Field hockey is primarily a female-dominated sport but was also played by males in the past. Hockey can be played two ways, on a field or on the ice. Because of the difference, in countries such as the United States and Canada, specification is key due to the commonality of ice hockey being the more popular sport.
High school sports are what cultivate an athlete’s love for the game. They learn how to be part of a team, develop leadership skills, and how to be a good person on-and-off the field. When a community loses one of its own, the best thing we can do is honor them. The Smithtown School District has done a tremendous job at honoring the legacies of those who have played for the Bulls.
