Sep 14, 2007
Wilton Soccer Association dedicates Nicholas A. Madaras Field
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It was a beautiful day for soccer on Saturday, and approximately 60 people turned out that morning to honor the sacrifice of Pfc. Nicholas Madaras at a dedication of a Middlebrook soccer field in his name.
Pfc. Madaras, a Wilton High graduate who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq last September, played for the high school’s soccer team, and the speakers at the dedication pointed to his passion for soccer.
“This field, in particular, was his favorite place to kick a ball or share a laugh with a friend,” said John D’Elisa, co-president of the Wilton Soccer Association.
Mr. D’Elisa said the field would be a constant reminder of Pfc. Madaras and how much he “loved to coach our children.”
The field, located in the southwest corner at Middlebrook School, has a sign designating it as “Nicholas A. Madaras Field.” The sign was unveiled by First Selectman William Brennan and Mr. D’Elisa at the close of the ceremony. In addition to the sign, a concrete path leading down to the field has a plaque, flanked by plantings, dedicated to Pfc. Madaras.
“Nick’s loss was a cost we have all had to bear so that we may continue to enjoy the comforts of our lives in Wilton,” said Mr. Brennan, adding that “freedom is not free.”
Tom Thresher, Pfc. Madaras’s soccer coach, shared his memories of the soccer enthusiast. Calling him an “intense competitor,” Mr. Thresher spoke of one time before a game when Pfc. Madaras pointed to an opposing player.
“Mr. T, you see that number six? He’s doing nothing today,” said Mr. Thresher, recalling Pfc. Madaras’s words.
Mr. Thresher’s son, also Tom, said in a letter that soccer for him and Pfc. Madaras “was the centerfold of our life,” and asked people to “spread his love and tell his story” when people asked about the man the field was named for.
Pfc. Madaras, beyond coaching and playing soccer himself, was also a referee, and Richard Hood, referee director of the Wilton Soccer Association, said Pfc. Madaras’s tenure as a referee was marked by dedication.
“He was never happy with how many games he got,” he said, adding that Pfc. Madaras’s legacy will live on through the soccer balls that have been sent to Iraq through the Kick for Nick campaign. More than 1,000 soccer balls were collected through the campaign, the realization of a request by Pfc. Madaras that used soccer balls be sent so he could pass them out to Iraqi children.
No teams have yet played an official game on the field because the Parks and Recreation Department upgraded some of the field’s sod, according to Michele Ward, co-president of the Wilton Soccer Association.
“It has to settle a little bit. Perhaps today’s rain will help on that score,” said Ms. Ward in an interview Tuesday. She said games would be played there in the next few weeks and it was the hope of the association that Christopher Madaras, Pfc. Madaras’s younger brother, would be among the first to play on the field.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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