The soccer season, well underway, continued on Saturday with a tournament in Kalamazoo. Under sunny skies and perfect temperatures, the Sailors, along with other area teams, competed in three games with the goal of achieving the highest score determined by a point system. A win equaled three points, regulation goal gave a team one point, and a regulation shutout earned 1 point with a maximum of three points per game.
Traveling in a motor coach, provided by team member’s family, and a team meal added to the excitement of the day. Family members cheered the team from the sidelines as the Sailors won all three games. Hurray!
The paragraph on the back of the green informational sheet handed out at the gate caught my eye. The annual David Ni Westside Shootout, Hackett Catholic Prep’s pre-season soccer tournament, is named in honor of a Hackett student who tragically died on Lake Michigan the summer before his senior year. Although he is no longer with us, he remains in our hearts and memories. It continues by describing a young man who sounded similar to Cole. At the end, they included the following; Through our annual event, we make a small gesture in honoring this young man who brought to life so many of values that we pursue and strive to uphold at Hackett Catholic Prep. It included the memorial site and lists the date of his death, July 4, 2006.
Although it was exciting to see the Sailors win, it filled me with gratefulness to see the teams playing in a tournament honoring the memory of a young person who left this game thirteen years ago. These teams, even though they may not have read the paragraph, were honoring the someone who, selflessly played defense when his real passion was being a striker up front. CU19 came to mind again and I resolved again- never forget.
Corey rode in this motor coach to the game. His sister, a loyal Boilermaker, didn’t want to set foot inside. 
The parents contributed for the tasty meal. 
Grandma and Grandpa came to watch! 
Family and team members gathered for a meal. 
It was a perfect set-up for the meal!
A Journey Worth Remembering 