Submitted by the Bedford Strikers
On Saturday, April 20, the Bedford Strikers GU10 (Girls Under 10 yrs old) soccer team played against the Belmont Majestics at Lane School. Before the game, the Bedford Strikers and the Belmont Majestic players stood together to observe a moment of silence to honor Martin Richard.
The players listened as their coaches — Caroline Fedele and Heather Patterson of Bedford, and Michael Haggerty of Belmont — spoke about Martin, the 8-year-old victim of the Boston Marathon bombings who was a member of Dorchester Youth Soccer, and would most likely have been playing soccer on Saturday morning with the thousands of other Youth Soccer players across Massachusetts.
The teams observed a moment of silence in his honor and in respect of this tragic loss. After the moment of silence, the coaches reminded the players to have fun and to wish the other team’s players “Good Luck” which they did with smiles.
Because they were suggested by BAYS President Dick Fischman (https://bays.org/) and Bedford’s Soccer Committee, similar moments of silence were happening throughout Eastern Massachusetts.
Fischman said, “In case you weren’t aware, Martin Richard, the 8-year old victim of the Boston Marathon bombings was a member of Dorchester Youth Soccer. In response to this senseless violence and the impact it has had on our soccer community, BAYS suggests that a moment of silence occur before every game this weekend in observance and out of respect for Martin and all of the victims of this tragedy.”