From Welker to Chavez Family

The following message was posted on the NorCalSoccer.com website by Hannah Welker's Family.

Our family wants to send our deepest and most sincere condolances for the Manzo family's great loss of their beautiful son Jonathon. We will continue to hold up the entire family, for their healing and continued recovery. We feel deeply for Jonathon's family, friends, teammates and also for the soccer community who is bruised once again by a tragic loss of such a young and bright light.

Sadly our family and our children's soccer teams know the very difficult path the Manzo family will walk down, having lost our youngest daughter Hannah similarily on the way home from a soccer tournament 4 months ago. Though no one and nothing can fully heal the pain; every gesture of love, support, care, and prayers will go along way toward comforting the Manzo family. Our daughter's team and the soccer community as a whole has brought an amazing amount of love and support, so I feel confident that this strong soccer community will gather support and care for the Manzo family in their great time of grief.

Whatever you are thinking of doing to honor Jonathon's memory and legacy... just do it. Send a card from your child's team. Make a donation to Jonathon's Trust. Make a meal. Wear a ribbon, a tshirt or an armband in Jonathon's memory. Have a moment of silence before your next game. Keep Jonathon's memory alive by talking about him, and if you know the family embrace them now... and remember to embrace them in the months to come when things quiet down and the calm brings a new and different phase of grief.

In parting, try to view soccer in a different light when you watch your children play. The beautiful game of soccer is a way to build friendships, character and community into our treasured children. It's hard not to get caught up in the win/loss/competitive thing, but watch your children have fun and feel proud of themselves and know you've done a good thing. Honor Jonathon and your own kids by slowing down, taking a breath and being thankful for the hot sun on your shoulders in Sacramento, the wind at your back in Morgan Hill and for the smell of both green grass and dirty shinguards after a particularly intense weekend of games.

Jonathon and Hannah will be cheering us all on from above.