It was a win-win all around recently for the DeKalb Barbs and Sycamore Spartans athletic programs.

On Friday, the sports booster clubs for both DeKalb and Sycamore schools went head-to-head in the FNBO Challenge, igniting a friendly rivalry on the hardwood at NIU’s Convocation Center in DeKalb.

One Barb Athletic Foundation interim president Eric Larsen said they have a simple goal in mind.

“Our goal is to get the community together and also provide a better experience for the students and the student athletes,” Larsen said.

Sycamore Sports Boosters Club president Shannon Egler shared that sentiment.

“We like to put on a great community event to support our athletes,” Egler said. “Attendance is big, getting the community out to support these young athletes. At the same time, a community event for families, something fun to do together and then, obviously, to continue to raise funds, so we can support these athletes in all facets.”

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DeKalb players celebrate their win over Sycamore Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, during the FNBO Challenge at the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

The biannual FNBO Challenge, which features football as the center of the event in the fall and basketball in the winter, serves as one of the larger fundraisers put on by the two boosters clubs.

This year, the event helped net $50,000 for Sycamore Sports Boosters and the One Barb Athletic Foundation. Monies are usually divided evenly between the two sports booster clubs.

Larsen said the funding is hoped to go a long way.

“We’re open to ideas from the students and the coaches of how we can support them with the funds that we raise,” Larsen said. “Our goal is to put all the money back into the teams.”

Egler said meeting the community’s needs are a priority.

“At Sycamore, it’s used to support the athletes,” Egler said. “We share those funds with the athletic administration to help purchase uniforms, equipment and other requests that coaches put in, other wants and needs that they have specifically for their teams.”

Any donations raised are not exclusively reserved for those in high school sports, either. The athletic programs for area middle schools can benefit from the funding, as well.

Egler stressed the importance of getting the word out about the sports booster clubs and what they do.

“A lot of people don’t realize that sports boosters not only cover the high school athletes, but we support the middle school athletes as well,” she said.

Larsen shared that sentiment.

“We’re trying to get more engagement,” he said. “We’re looking for more volunteers and more people to attend the board meetings that are representing the middle schools.”

Larsen said supporting the sports boosters club means something special to him.

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The Sycamore girls basketball team celebrate with the trophy after beating DeKalb 38-26 Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in the FNBO Challenge at the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

Larsen has two children who attend DeKalb High School and are involved in soccer and dance. They have three older siblings who already graduated, but were into sports also.

“It’s fun to see their engagement and their participation and how DeKalb athletics has really helped shape them,” Larsen said.

Egler said she’s glad to be in a position to help the Sycamore Sports Boosters club.

She has two children in Sycamore schools who are involved in athletics, one who plays travel softball, another who plays travel baseball and wrestles.

“They are not in ... high school yet, but I grew up in the community passionate about sports,” Egler said. “My kids do play sports, so they will be going through the system eventually. So, [I’m] kind of helping build and sustain the foundation that’s going to support them as they grow older and go through the Sycamore school system.”

But it’s not all about Larsen and his children, or Egler and her children.

Larsen said it’s about ensuring that any funding raised goes to support student athletes and their families all across the districts.

“It’s fun to do that, but it’s really when we look at it it’s all about trying to get more people involved in the community and that’s what’s made this year with the One Barb Athletic Foundation what I could call a success,” Larsen said. “Because we’ve just really seen people step up in the community to help out as we kind of rebooted the foundation.”

In the fall, DeKalb Barb Boosters’ executive board announced its dissolution. But local support helped revive the group.

Since then, the executive board behind the fundraising group has rebranded itself as the “One Barb Athletic Foundation.”

Larsen said what transpired this past fall has helped reignite some momentum in the community.

“I think that when people saw the need and volunteered, I think it was great to see so many people step up and help,” Larsen said.

An election to help solidify the executive board’s standing is fast approaching. A specific date will be shared at the board’s March meeting.

Egler said he’s enjoyed working in collaboration with the One Barb Athletic Foundation to make the event happen.

“Yes, we’re rivals, but it’s been really great working with them to put on this event for the community as a whole,” Egler said.

The Sycamore Sports Boosters has had its own share of issues with recruiting and maintaining a volunteer base.

Egler said they have turned to different avenues to solicit volunteers, whether it be social media, word of mouth, or other ways.

“Obviously, we hold a few fundraisers throughout the year, so we need a lot of support in getting those running,” she said. “Currently, we’re battling volunteers in our concession stands. We know time is valuable, and everybody’s busy. We have households with kids in multiple sports, so getting volunteers has been a little bit of a struggle.”

Both Egler and Larsen said she considered the event to be successful.

In closing out the night, DeKalb boys and Sycamore girls’ basketball teams came out on top in their respective matchups.

But ultimately, both the One Barb Athletic Foundation and Sycamore Sports Boosters were victorious in raising funds to support a good cause.