The Crew faces off against Vancouver on Saturday in their next league game. It's another step in a long season and the march to the playoffs. Just three days later the Crew will take part in a much different game, an exhibition match in memorial of Buckeye soccer player Connor Senn.
While the Crew and most Major League Soccer teams play exhibitions, most are against big name opponents, but the Connor Senn match is different. It has always been about bringing together members of the central Ohio soccer community to remember a hardworking and energetic college student who died far too young.
Senn collapsed during an Ohio State soccer match at Akron on September 26th, 2001. He died that night from a congenital heart defect at the age of 18. The University started the annual match the following spring to raise money for the Connor Senn Memorial Scholarship Fund. The event, now in its 11th year, raises awareness for sudden cardiac arrests in athletes.
The game means something extra to Crew midfielder and Worthington native Danny O'Rourke. "We started playing together in the 7th grade.” O’Rourke recalled “We were both tiny guys, probably the smallest guys out there. We instantly became friends”
The two players became inseparable, rooming together on the road, travelling to Senn’s parents Granville home to watch World Cup games, and going to concerts. After high school, Connor would go to Ohio State, walk on to the Men’s Soccer team and earn playing time as freshman while O’Rourke headed to Indiana University.
Senn made a big impact in his short time with the team. He went from walk on to impact player in his first months on campus. While only playing in 8 games for the Buckeyes, Senn’s spirit stays with the team today. The motto 'Play Like Connor Today', created after his passing, is still used by the team today, 11 years later. The team still keeps a locker for Senn in the soccer team’s locker room and there is a plaque in memory of Senn at the team’s home field, Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Senn's passing had an impact beyond those who knew and played with him. Crew head coach Robert Warzycha "It's something tragic that happened.” explaining, "It's one of our family members died on the field." With a cross country trip to Portland looming next week, a friendly could be a distraction, but instead Warzycha is pleased that the Crew are back playing in the game. "We are happy we can do something in memory of him."
As for the game, Coach Warzycha sees the game as a chance to get the Crew's younger players some game time in a competitive environment and rest some key starters.
O'Rourke won’t be on the sidelines if he can help it. He plays, if healthy, in a jersey with Senn's name on the back. "To be a part of it for the past six years is a true blessing." adding "Even though he's not here with us today, we want the tradition of Connor to carry on."
O’Rourke remembered his friend with a few final words, “He was a great kid and blossomed into a hell of a soccer player too.”
Sudden cardiac arrest is rare, but is usually caused by a heart defect. Sadly, it has been in the news with two high profile cases within the world of soccer this year. Congolese midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed during an English Premier League game on March 17th. He was resuscitated by medical staff and is recovering. Italian Piermario Morosini wasn't as fortunate and died during a match on April 14th. Preventative cardiac screening to uncover defects remains the best way to combat the problem.
The game has been a big success and the scholarship fully endowed in 2007. The men’s soccer team and organizing committee moved to expand their objectives and educate about the dangers and warning signs of cardiac arrest. They are entering the second year of a partnership with the Ohio State Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute to further research and education into sudden cardiac arrest.
The event has expanded to a symposium to educate both the public and medical community about the dangers of cardiac arrest. The day long program features nearly a dozen doctors discussing the latest advancements in medical science. O’Rourke will also speak about the impact of cardiac arrest and his friendship with Connor. The symposium is also seeking to instruct athletic trainers on the latest innovations in discovering this rare but deadly problem.
The 11th annual Connor Senn Memorial Match is Tuesday, May 1st. Game time is 7pm at Jesse Owens Memorial Field on the Ohio State campus. The Connor Senn Memorial Symposium on Sudden Cardiac Arrest will be on May 8th at the Ohio Union. http://www.thecrew.com/connorsenn
