The district gathered on the Elwood-John H. Glenn High School varsity soccer field on Oct. 14 for a special scoreboard dedication ceremony in remembrance of student Sean Urda.
Sean passed away in Jan. 2015 in a snow tubing accident; a tragedy that deeply impacted the community. The Urda family donated a new soccer scoreboard in Sean’s name to give back to the school for their support and honor their son’s life as a passionate soccer player and Elwood Knight. The ceremony date provided a significant meaning, as number 14 was Sean’s soccer number.
Surrounded by teammates, teachers, administrators, coaches and student athletes, Sean’s mother, Nicole Urda, and father, Gary Urda, sat in the front row while varsity soccer coach Mr. Louis Hanner and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kenneth Bossert spoke to the crowd. “I was not fortunate enough to know Sean, but I have heard him discussed and described many times as a role model,” said Dr. Bossert. “Those are the words that I want you to keep in mind when you think about him and when you try to act as a role model and set a positive example for your friends, teammates and opponents.”
Before the ribbon cutting, Mr. Urda spoke about his son’s love for soccer and the relationships he built. “To Sean, soccer was more than just a game,” said Mr. Urda. “It was his passion and the Knights and his high school classmates were more than just his team and his friends, they were his family.”
Captains of the varsity boys soccer team presented Mrs. Urda with flowers and Sean’s younger brother Luke, a student at Elwood Middle School and student athlete himself, did the honor of cutting the blue ribbon.