Posted on 10/13/2005 8:04:14 AM PDT by reagandemo
By ERIC ZAGER / WHAS11 News
“It’s kinda crazy for somebody so young to die so early.”
One of their own, a newcomer to Western High School, Francisco Valle-Victorino was a goalie on Western’s undefeated soccer team. On Tuesday, he died from injuries he received in a big district game against Pleasure Ridge park.
“He was a good kid,” says student Calvin Miles.
Valle-Victorino is so new at Western, they don’t have his picture. The school flew the Mexican flag Tuesday in his honor, as well as the American flag at half-staff.
Principal Louis Hughley was worn out after spending the night at the hospital. “This has been the toughest day of my career. I’ve been in this business for 30 years.”
It’s still not clear what killed Valle-Victorino, but an opposing player trying to score kicked the ball, striking him in the neck.
“Everybody loved him. He was a lovely guy on the team. I know a lot of his peers loved him, loved to be around him,” says Western Soccer Coach Montrelle Irvin.
Despite having a significant language barrier, Valle-Victorino was an instant hit with classmates on and off the field.
“He was nice, friendly. He spoke nicely. He didn’t really cuss around me or nothing like that. He was a nice guy,” says classmate Laessence Buckner.
Officials won’t know exactly what caused his death until an autopsy is performed.
A memorial fund has been established for Valle-Victorino. Donations can be made at any Fifth Third Bank branch.
Web story produced by Jay Ditzer.
Does this question matter? He´s dead, isn´t he? The only thing you can do by asking this question is to badmouth the reputation of Francicso, who surely is not responsible for the place his parents have chosen to live. Let the authorities take care of his parents legal status...
I'm being sarcastic but NY is serious in wanting kids to wear helmets for soccer. Because of the 20 people who died on Lake George NY wants everyone to wear life jackets whenever they are on water. You must wear a helmet on your bike, even if you going 5MPH on your own dead end street. Incedents like this soccer accident just give the saftey nazis a podium to shout from. Just my little prediction.
Sweet shirt at your link.
Have you seen the Big Wuss one: http://www.4specialtygifts.com/imagessoc/ST2.jpg
In Soccer
There Are No Timeouts
There Are No Helmets
No Shoulders Pads
No Commercial Breaks
No Halftime Extravaganza
So If That's What You Need
Go Play Football
You Big Wuss
(sittinyonder and I both coach rec soccer, and all of our kids play)
I like the don't tread on my USA Soccer T-shirt. That might be better than my "political renegade Libertarian Party" t-shirt I typically wear to soccer practice. LOL
What's the Limbaugh parody about how dangerous soccer is? The Keep Our Own Kids Safe campaign?
"people will start to think soccer is a bad sport"
My son, who is 19, has been playing since the age of 3. I am an O.R. nurse and have seen far more basketball and football injuries. Freaky things happen everyday and this is, unfortunately, one of them.
LOL! Thanks for the link! Cute story!
Chill, cool off.
I went to high school with a German foreign exchange student named Helga. She was blond, beautiful, and probably the finest girl in our senior class. There is no problem with legal foreign students, but this has thread has devolved into an "every Mexican here is illegal" thread.
You'd have to live here to understand the irrational aggravation over this unfortunate young Mexican.
And I'll bet you've seen a lot more young car accident patients. So what do we do? Ban basketball, football, soccer, and cars to protect our young?:)
(I don't like Soccer but I agree it is probably more dangerous than football.)
I totally disagree with you. At least it is illegal in a soccer game to hit someone on purpose. You get a foul called on you and get kicked out if you get 2 yellow cards. In football you get a high 5!
In soccer the most dangerous position is goalie. They sometimes have to dive at an opponent's feet and will get often kicked. You have to be a kamikaze to play goalie.
Any question of illegality of the kid are out of bounds. Having said that, those comments were probably made by people PO'ed about the bit about the Mexican flag. As an immigrant myself, I now live in the United States and do not expect the flag of my home country to be flying at my high school even if I die there. Even when foreign heads of state die we lower the American flag at half mast. This multicultural crap is only dividing us.
I would be honored to have the AMERICAN flat flown at half mast when I die. There is nothing more symbolic in my acceptance in this new country as having that happen.
Hockey is far more dangerous than soccer. Far more.
When I used to play soccer, I was the team idiot that would get as close to the free kicks as possible, put my hands on my groin and pray to God that it would hit me in the shins. 90% of the time it was a gut shot, which was always the worst because it knocks the wind out of you.
I don't recall anyone ever being hurt seriously although there was a bank in the locker room for a player who had been crippled many years previously. People would drop in a quarter or dime etc.
In the few soccer games I have watched, I see them kicking and running without pads and it literally scares me.
I think football is a far more interesting game tho.
I'm old enough to remember when most soccer balls had that pattern. The hexagon/pentagon pattern started in the mid-60's to early 70s.
As much as I hate the illegal alien problem, have you never heard of "exchange students"? ...LEGAL "resident aliens" ..."student visas"? ..."dual citizenship until of legal age"? Those would be some of the most common (legal) reasons for a Mexican citizen to be on an American HS team.
Way back in The Stoned Age, if anything had happened to Nandu, I'm sure my high school would have displayed the Indian flag in like manner; ditto for Onyango, and the Kenyan flag.
My pleasure, and agreed.
It is, indeed. Poor little boy.
May he rest in peace, and may the Good Lord comfort his parents, family and friends.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.