A story of tragedy and inspiration: The West Bablyon Panthers of New York won the U-17 national championship just weeks after the death of their co-captain Tom MacEwen.

One of the most inspiring stories of the recent Snickers U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships was the West Babylon PanthersÆ journey from dark horse to U-17 boys Don Greer Cup national champion.

It was also the most heartbreaking. The New YorkersÆ triumph came barely two weeks after co-captain Tom MacEwen was killed in an automobile accident. Just three days after winning the Region I title, the popular central defender was the passenger in a car driven by a teammate. The driver, who lost control of the vehicle, survived.

Coach Joan Czach (pronounced ôZackö) heard the news at 3:30 a.m. through a phone call from a playerÆs parent. Her first thought was that she was having a nightmare. But when she realized it was true, she awakened co-coach Scott Dean, and his wife, who were staying at CzachÆs house. Together they drove to the home where players had gathered. Everyone was in shock.

ôYou donÆt know what to say, because you canÆt believe it yourself,ö Czach says. ôHere was a group of 17-year-old boys who had never experienced losing someone their own age, or someone so close. You can never answer the question æWhy?Æ so all we could do was try to comfort them.ö

After dawn, Czach went to the MacEwensÆ house. Soon every team member, and most parents, arrived. At that point, the last thing anyone could think of was the trip to the nationals, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., a few days ahead.

Czach called her club president, who quickly arranged crisis counseling through the town of Babylon. The next afternoon, a Sunday, the team met at a clubhouse. Two professional counselors volunteered their time, and there was plenty of food. One counselor met with the players; another spoke with the parents. Then the boys and adults came together.

The counselors told the players that while there is no blueprint for getting through such a tragedy, it would be important for everyone to support each other. Each person will grieve, they were told, and not all will do it alike. They should not be afraid to grieve, nor should they pass judgment on the way others expressed grief. The counselors said they would be available in the days ahead for anyone who wanted to talk personally.

Czach recalls: ôI was trying to deal with my own grief and at the same time be there for the players.ö She encouraged her team to talk about Tommy, who had just finished his junior year at Massapequa High School and was already talking with college coaches. Players told stories of his antics. Her own memories included his constant smile, his funny remarks during games and training sessions to ease tensions, and his love for the sport.


Finally, orange socks

Czach and Dean decided to let the players make their own decision about participating in the national tournament. After serving as their teammateÆs pallbearers, the Panthers decided to go. They made other decisions, too. They would wear armbands with his name and number. Because he had always asked for orange socks to go with their royal blue jerseys, they would finally wear them. And they would start every match with 10 players.

ôEvery team we played showed tremendous respect and sportsmanship for that gesture,ö Czach notes. ôThey always kicked the ball right out of bounds.ö The Chicago Magic Sockers, the team the Panthers defeated, 1-0, in the final (and who had beaten West Babylon, 2-1, earlier in round-robin play) opened both matches with 10 men as well.

Czach was concerned that by opting to attend the national championships, her players would place a tremendous burden on themselves.

ôI had discussed with the counselor,ö she said, ôwhat would happen if we gave them the message, æWin it for Tommy.Æ ThatÆs a huge thing to ask 17-year-old boys to do. There are no guarantees in life. If we didnÆt win, we didnÆt want them to feel guilty, as if they had failed on top of everything else they were dealing with.ö

So Czach and Dean told the Panthers simply to play as best and hard as they could in their teammateÆs memory. That, they said, is what MacEwen would have wanted them to do.

The team enjoyed the week in Florida ù in part, because of their coachesÆ concern that they have fun.

ôWe talked about that too,ö Czach says. ôLike many players, TommyÆs dream had always been to go to the nationals. We wanted to make sure that, because they were there, they had a good time. They did. They took part in all the activities and felt good knowing theyÆd really earned the right to be there and enjoy everything that was going on.ö

Czach and Dean enjoyed themselves as much as they could, too. Czach had coached the team for seven years, and many players had been together for at least four or five. The closeness of the players helped them get through a difficult period. Before the final match, co-captain David Musinski echoed the theme of the week. ôLetÆs go out and have fun, boys,ö he told his teammates.

They did, and the Panthers were rewarded in the 67th minute when Shane Arikian picked up a loose ball outside the SockersÆ penalty box, cut inside, beat his defender and chipped the sprawling keeper for the only tally of the game.

In the final two minutes the Sockers nearly scored in an intense goalmouth scramble. But one defender headed the ball off the goal line, another stopped a shot with his chest, and a third cleared out of danger after a ball hit the keeper, who was down on the ground, in the back. ôTommy was our extra defender,ö Czach says.


æNo book tells you what to doÆ

When the final whistle blew, Czach felt numb. The players and coaches cried together, from joy and sadness. They gathered at midfield in prayer, then held up MacEwenÆs No. 4 jersey as they received their championship medals (and, for the character they showed throughout the week, the Fair Play Award). The next day, back on Long Island, Czach presented MacEwenÆs medal to his parents.

Czach speaks with gratitude of the support the Panthers received following their teammateÆs death.

ôEveryone in the soccer community, from our club and league and state to people at the regional and national level, were there for us,ö she says.

The San Juan (Calif.) Lightning presented the Panthers with a signed ball prior to their first-round match. Another final four team, Team Boca Gunners of Florida, lost a player last year in similar circumstances. The GunnersÆ coach and several players e-mailed Czach as soon as they heard the news, a few days before their game. Their thoughts and condolences were very helpful, she says.

She admits not knowing whether her actions in the hours and days following the pre-dawn phone call were right or wrong. ôNo book tells you what to do,ö she says. ôYou just have to follow your heart. I truly believe we were helped by the fact that the team was so close and everyone around us was so supportive.

ôIÆm unbelievably proud of these boys, both for what they accomplished in Florida and the way they handled themselves throughout this whole ordeal,ö Czach says. ôTheyÆre a terrific group of young men. I loved being around them, and I canÆt say enough about them. How they pulled up their socks and got through this IÆll never know ù but they did. A team like this comes along once in a lifetime.ö

by Youth Soccer Letter executive editor Dan Woog