Thursday, October 1, 2026
For 60 years, the Seaford Broncos football and cheer program has been teaching children how to block and tackle, cheer, compete and, perhaps most important, belong.
The organization marked its 60th anniversary last weekend with its annual Bronco Day celebration at Seaman’s Neck Park, bringing generations of players, cheerleaders, coaches and families together to celebrate a program that has become woven into the fabric of the Seaford community.
For some Broncos, the celebration was a look back. For 11-year-olds Sean O’Callaghan, a football player, and Giavanna Angerhauser, a cheerleader, it was also a reminder that their own time in the program is beginning to give way to the next chapter.
Sean started playing with the Broncos when he was 5 or 6. A defensive tackle and nose guard, he said his favorite part of the organization is the sense of community. “I like the teamwork that we have, and that I know everyone,” Sean said.
That community was on full display during Bronco Day, which included speeches, food, games and activities for the children, along with a celebration of the organization’s history.
The event also featured a special tribute to the Haskell family. Meaghan Haskell Gambina, the daughter of Broncos alumnus Tommy Haskell, was presented with a commemorative plaque marking the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. Haskell, a New York City firefighter and a former Bronco, was among those who died in the attacks.
The Broncos honor Haskell’s legacy each year with the Tommy Haskell Award, which recognizes the qualities he represented: sportsmanship, dedication, character and community service.
Broncos alumni were also invited back onto the field at Seaman’s Neck Park, a fitting sight for an organization that has now spanned generations. Jeff Schaefer, who was appointed president of Broncos football this year, said that history is what makes the 60th anniversary especially meaningful.
Schaefer has been involved with the organization for about five years, with three children who have gone through the program. What struck him most, he said, wasn’t simply the number of seasons the organization has played. It was the people.
“I feel like Broncos is like a big fabric of Seaford,” Schaefer said. “We really want it to continue to be that way.”
The Broncos were founded in 1966 with the goal of giving local children a chance to take part in football and cheerleading while learning teamwork and sportsmanship. Six decades later, Schaefer said, the organization remains focused on those same principles.
“We keep saying that Broncos is not just football, it’s not just cheer,” he said. “It’s about family and it’s about community. It’s about giving these kids a place where any child can belong.”
That philosophy has left its mark on children like Sean O’Callaghan, who said his coaches have taught him lessons that extend beyond the football field.
And his teammates, he added, have taught him “teamwork, how to work with problems, how to be more serious in some situations, and support each other.”
Soon, Sean hopes, he will take those lessons with him to the Seaford Vikings, where he plans to continue playing football — and possibly making the transition from offensive and defensive line to tight end.
Leaving the Broncos, however, is bittersweet.
“I just want to say thank you for all the years that you’ve supported me,” Sean said of his coaches. “I’m definitely gonna miss being a Bronco later in my football career.”
On the cheerleading side, Giavanna Angerhauser was experiencing a similar moment. She began with the Broncos in a clinic at age 5, and now, at 11, is in her final year with the organization.
Cheerleading has given her plenty of memories, particularly of competitions. Last year, her team finished first in dance and second in cheer at the Nassau-Suffolk Cheerleading Association competition, coming within just a few points of first place in cheer.
And trophies aside, Giavanna said, “I enjoyed the competitions and hanging out with my friends.”
Her connection to the Broncos runs deep. Her father, Russell Angerhauser, played for the organization about 30 years ago. Her brother, Dominic, also went through the Broncos before moving on to the Vikings, and her uncle was a Bronco as well.
Now, Giavanna is carrying the family tradition forward. “It feels really cool,” she said, “especially that my dad also played for the Broncos.”
Her mother, Danielle Angerhauser, has seen that tradition from both sides. She has coached Giavanna’s team since she was 5, served as a team mom when Dominic played and now serves as the Broncos’ cheer coordinator and a member of the board.
For Danielle, the greatest reward isn't necessarily a trophy. It’s watching friendships develop and strengthen. She has coached many of the girls since they were 5, and seen them grow from children into confident competitors. The team has gone from finishing near the bottom in competition to becoming a top contender, sometimes competing against squads twice its size.
But Danielle hopes the girls remember something more lasting than tournament results. “I think the bond that they share now is what’s so important,” she said. “I also hope that they take away from it just responsibility and accountability.”
For Giavanna, Sean and the countless Broncos who came before them, the uniform may eventually come off, but the community remains. And that may be the part of the Broncos’ legacy that lasts longest.
