ROCKFORD, Mich. -- The Rockford boys soccer team came away with a 4-0 win over OK Red foe, West Ottawa on Thursday evening but it wasn't what the night was really about. The team came together to raise money and awareness for mental health, even sporting green jerseys.
"We knew we all wanted do something for the community and we know that mental health effects a lot of us on the team as well as in the community," senior captain Adam Goushaw said. "We just figured, anything we can do to help those people, we'd want to do it."
Pine Rest was at the game as well as members of a peer group at Rockford high school. When the team debated on different charities or groups to help, mental health is what was decided on.
"Mental health really stuck out," senior Kyle Switzer added, "you hear about cancer games and giving back to Veterans and stuff but mental health is something you never really hear about it in sports. We thought it'd be something different and a great way for us to get involved."
Meanwhile, Rams head coach Stu Quackenbush credits his players, who brainstormed the evening and the events.
"Credit belongs to my seniors," he mentioned, "it's a great group of young men, they sat together and said, 'what's something that our colleagues need, our peers, our community need' and ultimately I think they looked at each other and said, 'what's something we need?'"
