Staples soccer player Taylor McNair (right) with Bill Madaras.
Westhill soccer coach Dave Flower.
The FCIAC soccer world is a close one, with coaches and players knowing each other in a sort of sports fraternity and sorority, not just from conference play, but club and travel games as well.
Perhaps the quality of the play is exceeded only by the quality of people who play and coach the games. Two people taking part in playoff games on Wednesday could serve as perfect poster children.
Westhill girls soccer coach Dave Flower will be taking part in the New York City Marathon on Sunday. Not only has he never run over 26 miles before, but he did not take up running until this past January.
“I started training because I was getting older and gaining weight,” he said with a smile.
Flower’s wife, Allyson, has completed the marathon twice. Flower’s motivation is not just personal: he is running on behalf of “Fred’s Team,” which raises money for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The team is so-named in the memory of Freb Lebow, the co-founder of the New York City Marathon.
“She inspired me to do it,” Flower said of his wife. “Cancer research is obviously close to everyone’s heart. Everybody knows someone they love, or someone who has suffered with cancer.”
Flower said he lost a good friend, Andy Bryan, who was well known in local soccer circles, to the disease.
Flower’s goal was to raise $5,000. He is already over $6,000.
Flower said he has also been motivated by his Westhill players, who won a state title two years ago and lost in both the FCIAC and state finals last fall. Ironically, if they advance the Vikings could be playing in the league final Saturday, less than 24 hours before Flower starts the race.
“A lot of it is inspiration from these guys,” he said, as he pointed to his players at a recent practice. “I see what they are able to do with hard work. I want them to be proud of me like I am proud of them.”
Staples boys soccer player Taylor McNair made an equally laudable contribution of his own earlier this fall. Three years ago, as a freshman, McNair recalled the Wreckers getting involved with “Kick for Nick.” The project honors former Wilton soccer player Nick Madaras. While on leave from duty in Iraq in 2006, Madaras rounded up as many used soccer balls as possible to give to children near his post. Madaras never got to distribute the balls himself; he was killed by an IED that September. “Kick for Nick” was started in his memory.
“This year, I don’t know what got me thinking about it, maybe it was the 10th anniversary of 9/11, but there was a lot of national spirit going on,” McNair said.
McNair said he asked the Wreckers’ coach, Dan Woog, if the team could organize another drive for “Kick for Nick.”
“I figured it would be a good time,” McNair said. “And it turned out great.”
Through his efforts, which included publicity, setting out boxes at a varsity match, and then deflating the balls, McNair was able to turn over about 150 soccer balls to Madaras’ father, Bill.
“Taylor truly understands that some of the best lessons of soccer are learned off the field,” said Woog. “This was entirely his project – and he made it work. Dozens of youngsters overseas will benefit from Taylor’s hard work, passion and compassion.”
The Wreckers are in the process of trying to win their fourth FCIAC title. No matter how they fare, McNair has already proved himself a winner.
“Just think about what we have here in Westport and Fairfield County in general,” McNair said. “Something so simple can be taken for granted here, but in a war-ravaged country, something as simple as a soccer ball can help change things.”
If you would like to donate to Flower’s efforts, you can do so by going onto www.fredsteam.org and entering David Flower in the Donate section.
