Batavia, West Aurora remember Kyle Nicely
By C. Rollin Walker
Batavia didn’t get the result it was hoping for when it hosted West Aurora on Sept. 18, but what happened on the field was just a game.
The Bulldogs and Blackhawks wore special shirts for the match in homage to Kyle Nicely, a Batavia student and soccer player who passed away almost two years to the day of Saturday’s game, which was played in his honor.
Nicely, a beloved 16-year-old junior at Batavia, died on Sept. 13, 2019.
While player soccer was his passion, Nicely was an active, faith-filled kid with lots of hobbies that went beyond sports. He was fun to be around, someone everyone could count on and a role model for others.
“It definitely was a great event. We’d like to continue to do it as we move forward, because I think it’s a big deal,” Bulldogs coach Mark Giafrancesco said. “It kind of gets the boys locked in to what’s important with their priorities and things like that.”
In 2019, West Aurora was scheduled to play Batavia the day after Nicely passed away so the Blackhawks are a fitting opponent for the annual Kyle Nicely game.
“It was really good, and I told Mark (Gianfrancesco) before the game started that today’s a scrimmage,” Blackhawks coach Joe Sustersic said. “It’s a yellow and a red scrimmage so we don’t even have to put a West Aurora or Batavia (on the jersey). It’s all for Kyle. Team Kyle.”
Someone lightened the mood by joking with Sustersic about “Team Kyle,” sounded like a TV competition.
“Someone said it sounds like some reality TV show, and I’m like whatever you say,” he said. “I don’t even know what you’re referring to because I don’t watch reality TV, but we’re playing for Kyle and for 25 members of the Nicely family that were there. Their son is never going to be forgotten for what he did.”
Roses were given to the Nicely family, a moment of silence was shared and the public address announcer shared some details about what Nicely enjoyed most, which included being generous and a role model for others.
Batavia has been blessed with a program that truly is like family. Many kids who have donned the Bulldogs uniform can recall days gone by when they were kicking the ball around with friends in playgrounds around town, fantasizing about the day that they’d maybe get the chance to play on the high school’s biggest stage. Losing Nicely truly was the loss of a member of the Batavia family.
“Batavia has had a lot of people that have started kindergarten and grown up together so they have that long experience, and obviously with the Tri-Cities area with soccer, a lot of them have played together for so long,” Gianfrancesco said. “I guess I’m the recipient of that, and even the guys who stopped playing club and are playing other sports, they still have that connection with these other kids because they played with them at a younger age.”
Because of that, it makes the impact of a tragedy such as this one, enormous on the community. It resonates with so many people who h have played a team sport and especially those who are proud to call themselves Bulldogs.
“When you have the Kyle thing that happened it brings a lot of people closer because that’s somebody that you’ve played with,” Gianfrancesco said. “It brings a lot of people together.”
Isaac Romero scored twice, Nathan Zombe had a goal and two assists and Hector Huerta and Mufariji Yuha each contributed a pair of assists on the field as the Blackhawks stole the show on the field with a 6-1 victory.
“We knew it was going to be special so we wanted to play our best and play with heart, because they were going to come out and play with the same heart,” Romero said. “We had some teammates from last year that knew him and played with him in club so … We started off really strong and had one of our best games of the season so far.”
West Aurora junior defender Blake Studdard reflected a bit, imagining if Nicely had been one of his teammates since he was a lot like the thousands of kids who love this game so much.
“It was hard to think about so I couldn’t imagine how they were feeling in the moment, but it was pretty emotional,” he said. “I could tell they were playing with some heart. I could tell they were playing for him.”
In addition to the game celebrating Nicely, the Blackhawks are playing a scheduled loaded with awareness games. When Romero spoke to Chicagoland Soccer, he had just finished playing in a 5-0 victory over Yorkville on Sept. 23 in a game to support pediatric cancer awareness. The constant reminders that life is bigger than the soccer pitch are being etched in these young heads, and it’s helping them live in the now.
“It’s helped us be more aware of all the types of things that people have been going through,” Romero said. “Families losing loved ones and all of these different things. It’s a learning experience.”
By C. Rollin Walker
Batavia didn’t get the result it was hoping for when it hosted West Aurora on Sept. 18, but what happened on the field was just a game.
The Bulldogs and Blackhawks wore special shirts for the match in homage to Kyle Nicely, a Batavia student and soccer player who passed away almost two years to the day of Saturday’s game, which was played in his honor.
Nicely, a beloved 16-year-old junior at Batavia, died on Sept. 13, 2019.
While player soccer was his passion, Nicely was an active, faith-filled kid with lots of hobbies that went beyond sports. He was fun to be around, someone everyone could count on and a role model for others.
“It definitely was a great event. We’d like to continue to do it as we move forward, because I think it’s a big deal,” Bulldogs coach Mark Giafrancesco said. “It kind of gets the boys locked in to what’s important with their priorities and things like that.”
In 2019, West Aurora was scheduled to play Batavia the day after Nicely passed away so the Blackhawks are a fitting opponent for the annual Kyle Nicely game.
“It was really good, and I told Mark (Gianfrancesco) before the game started that today’s a scrimmage,” Blackhawks coach Joe Sustersic said. “It’s a yellow and a red scrimmage so we don’t even have to put a West Aurora or Batavia (on the jersey). It’s all for Kyle. Team Kyle.”
Someone lightened the mood by joking with Sustersic about “Team Kyle,” sounded like a TV competition.
“Someone said it sounds like some reality TV show, and I’m like whatever you say,” he said. “I don’t even know what you’re referring to because I don’t watch reality TV, but we’re playing for Kyle and for 25 members of the Nicely family that were there. Their son is never going to be forgotten for what he did.”
Roses were given to the Nicely family, a moment of silence was shared and the public address announcer shared some details about what Nicely enjoyed most, which included being generous and a role model for others.
Batavia has been blessed with a program that truly is like family. Many kids who have donned the Bulldogs uniform can recall days gone by when they were kicking the ball around with friends in playgrounds around town, fantasizing about the day that they’d maybe get the chance to play on the high school’s biggest stage. Losing Nicely truly was the loss of a member of the Batavia family.
“Batavia has had a lot of people that have started kindergarten and grown up together so they have that long experience, and obviously with the Tri-Cities area with soccer, a lot of them have played together for so long,” Gianfrancesco said. “I guess I’m the recipient of that, and even the guys who stopped playing club and are playing other sports, they still have that connection with these other kids because they played with them at a younger age.”
Because of that, it makes the impact of a tragedy such as this one, enormous on the community. It resonates with so many people who h have played a team sport and especially those who are proud to call themselves Bulldogs.
“When you have the Kyle thing that happened it brings a lot of people closer because that’s somebody that you’ve played with,” Gianfrancesco said. “It brings a lot of people together.”
Isaac Romero scored twice, Nathan Zombe had a goal and two assists and Hector Huerta and Mufariji Yuha each contributed a pair of assists on the field as the Blackhawks stole the show on the field with a 6-1 victory.
“We knew it was going to be special so we wanted to play our best and play with heart, because they were going to come out and play with the same heart,” Romero said. “We had some teammates from last year that knew him and played with him in club so … We started off really strong and had one of our best games of the season so far.”
West Aurora junior defender Blake Studdard reflected a bit, imagining if Nicely had been one of his teammates since he was a lot like the thousands of kids who love this game so much.
“It was hard to think about so I couldn’t imagine how they were feeling in the moment, but it was pretty emotional,” he said. “I could tell they were playing with some heart. I could tell they were playing for him.”
In addition to the game celebrating Nicely, the Blackhawks are playing a scheduled loaded with awareness games. When Romero spoke to Chicagoland Soccer, he had just finished playing in a 5-0 victory over Yorkville on Sept. 23 in a game to support pediatric cancer awareness. The constant reminders that life is bigger than the soccer pitch are being etched in these young heads, and it’s helping them live in the now.
“It’s helped us be more aware of all the types of things that people have been going through,” Romero said. “Families losing loved ones and all of these different things. It’s a learning experience.”