Inspired by the memory of Peter Traczyk, the team manager for the Chicago Edge U17 Premier boys team, the squad won the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup championship on the same recent weekend that hundreds gathered in Oak Park to eulogize Traczyk who had died by suicide on Feb. 7.
Traczyk, a long-time member of the District 97 school board and a candidate for the Oak Park and River Forest High School board in April, was active in the soccer program in which his two sons, Gib and Zack, played.
Gib, 17, is a member of the team. Although Gib didn’t travel with the team to Las Vegas, he told his teammates to bring home the tourney title. And, somewhat improbably, they did.
Trailing in several games, the team rallied to win its division. In the semifinals, Chicago Edge U17 Premier defeated the Strikers Fox Valley (Ill.) 3-1 in a match highlighted by a goal from the halfway line from David Senk. The team capped off its emotional weekend with a 1-0 overtime victory against Chicago Fire Raiders Elite (Ill.) in the championship game as Evan Kindler scored the game-winning goal. Winning the tournament marked the first time the club has ever won an out-of-state championship.
More importantly, the team’s success served as a fitting tribute to how much Traczyk meant to the team.
“The other times we went to Las Vegas, we didn’t have the best record. In fact, I don’t think we won a game before this trip so it’s pretty awesome,” Gib Traczyk said. “I kept getting text updates from everybody on the team. The way my teammates kept me in the loop really made me feel like I was there.”
Initially, the team debated whether they should even make the trip.
“Peter’s funeral and the tournament were on the same weekend,” Chicago Edge U17 Premier coach Gavin Richards said. “It was a tough decision whether to go or not, but Peter put so much work into making the trip happen. We felt like going to the tournament was the right thing to do.”
Peter’s spirit certainly was with the team.
“We were behind a few games but we remembered why we were at the tournament,” midfielder Jack O’Brien said. “[Peter] was just a really fun, easy going guy. Our families spent a lot of time together so I knew him well.”
Forward Kyle Pendleton added: “When we first heard the news that Gib’s dad died it was very difficult for all of us. We wanted to win not only for ourselves but for Peter, Gib and the rest of the Traczyk family. We’re here to support Gib and help him in any way we can.”
According to Richards, Peter did a lot of “behind the scenes” work to help the team.
“He was fantastic to have around the program. His two boys [Gib, Zack] are in the Chicago Edge program,” Richards said. “Peter was great interacting with the parents and players and very supportive of the club overall.
“He was just a great parent to have around the program. He loved doing it for his boys and thoroughly enjoyed being part of the club. Peter was always good for a smile, good for a joke.”
At practice on Monday, the team presented Gib with the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup championship trophy.
“The support that everyone has shown me and my family really means a lot,” Gib said. “Being able to come back out here, have fun and play soccer with my friends has helped me take my mind off things.”
