Lynbrook Soccer Day is a long-standing tradition in the district where both the boys’ and girls’ soccer programs host non-league games that are sponsored by a selected organization. This year, it was the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation, a non-profit with the goal to “increase mental health awareness and educate the community to help prevent suicide” while providing “support to those in crisis in an effort to end the self-destructive behavior of suicide that is becoming an epidemic among young people in our communities and across America.” It was founded by Mary and John O’Shea when their son, Ryan, a skilled athlete, and compassionate young man, died by suicide.
Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation Co-Director Kathy Lamacchia said, “When the Lynbrook soccer team[s] offered their support and invited us to Lynbrook’s Soccer Day, we were proud to collaborate and provide a platform where our young people want to be a part of the conversation.” Additionally, Lamacchia said, “The most important thing about the difference the foundation is making is that through opening this dialogue, it is saving lives. Through education and advocacy, we are providing our community members and leaders with the proper tools to navigate the myriad of challenges we face in our complicated world.”
Another part of the foundation’s goals states, “We need to eradicate the assumption that our successful, accomplished, driven young people who seem to have it all actually have everything they need to navigate this complicated world.” This is crucial to the work the foundation is doing and is backed by Lamacchia’s words, which is also why an event like Soccer Day is so positive and impactful. The foundation highlights how mental health in athletes is so crucial, and this event is opening up the conversation to Lynbrook’s soccer players and spectators.
Since becoming Lynbrook’s varsity girls’ soccer coach five years ago, Mike Palumbo said that “[he] quickly found out that Soccer Day was an annual tradition.” Palumbo also expressed his love for how the day is all about raising awareness for charity: “The charity could be for a local resident who is going through a difficult time, and we could help to raise money for them, or as we did this year, it can be for a worldwide issue, such as raising awareness for mental health.” Palumbo’s words highlight the multi-faceted possibilities that this event has, and how it can positively impact many people in many ways. He added, “As a dad of athletes in the Lynbrook community, I felt like this charity was an important one to support.”
However, due to unfortunate weather conditions, Lynbrook Soccer Day was forced to become “Soccer Week” this year. Instead of all four games being held on one day, the dates were split up. Despite this, the Soccer Booster Club was able to maintain the usual traditions that the day has. These traditions include selling Lynbrook Soccer merchandise and various refreshments for players and spectators. Payton Stalter, a sophomore and three-year varsity player, said, “I’m glad that they were able to avoid canceling Soccer Day despite the weather because it serves as a way for the community to come together in supporting a great cause.”
At the boys’ and girls’ varsity games that were hosted on Wednesday, October 4, John O’Shea spoke before both games and had a table and tent set up that was full of information on the foundation. Having resources like that available allowed for people at those games to see the impact they were making. Lynbrook Soccer Day is a long-standing tradition in the community that, while done a little differently this year, was still able to be an event not only about sports, but also about education.
