Without prejudice - An open communication to the Bayside FA -
David Cindric Darryl Kennedy
James Verlander loved football/soccer and he loved the Seaford
Soccer Club. He would sleep in his kit the night before a game
day (shin pads and all) just so that he didn't have to waste
time getting dressed in the morning. I remember many weekend
mornings having to go down early to help mark the pitches and
put up the goal nets just so that James could get there early.
He loved it so much his funeral service was held on the main
pitch, we could think of no other place that was more appropriate.
The Verlander family is eternally grateful for everything that
was done for James during his time at Seaford and also after
he left us.
However as years pass, players and teams who played in the
Charity Shield didn't know who James was and didn't know his
story. It's tough every day as his father regardless of how
many years have passed, I miss him and think about him every
day. It was personally tough having to relive it and explain
every year to new people and players what he went through and
what the charity day was all about. I think as we moved further
and further away from the actual day of James passing, the real
reason that we were there, got blurred. It was always meant
to be a day of remembering, a day of fun and a chance for us
to raise funds for Challenge.
The introduction of the ZAIDEE charity was a great initiative
and I believe that this is how the charity shield should move
forward to raise awareness and funds for more current reasons
and families that may be in need.
The shift away from the memory of James to other club individuals
and their own agendas seems to me to be the start of the end
of the true meaning of the day. When people argue and bicker
over something so simple as remembering a little boy who fought
a losing battle against cancer and loved the Seaford Soccer
Club, it is clear to me that we call it a day on the James Verlander
Charity Shield. When individuals put themselves at the centre
of this when only the boy himself should have been the centre,
then I am saddened. I spoke to Dave Cindric about this at the
last Charity Day down in Mornington and unless the club and
league has changed its position, thankfully there will still
be a charity day but James Verlander won't be the focus.
Thank you to Darryl and the members of the Seaford Soccer Club,
if it wasn't for you this day would not have been as big as
it ended up being. Things change, people change and times change.
Let's close the book on it and we, as a family, can continue
to remember James as the fun loving, sport loving little boy
that he was and not be caught up in politics that are not deserving
of the true meaning of the day.