Tribute to Cole Ballay

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Cole Ballay Tribute Page |

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Cole Ballay, a junior

soccer star at Germantown Academy, passed on Feb. 19, 2008, of injuries suffered in an auto accident not far from the school. Cole was already a three-year starter, as well as a captain and

All-Inter-Ac honoree. GA parent Bob Cannon said of Cole, "I know I speak for all

of the GA family when I tell you that our heart has been split in two with the news of this young

man's passing . . . He was, and will continue to be, a shining example of everything

good about GA, about being 17 years old and playing and enjoying this great game of soccer. Three cheers for a wonderful kid, son and GA student-athlete. A great

one was lost." We welcome your comments about Cole, and they'll be posted below. Please e-mail them to silaryt@phillynews.com . Also, we will gladly post pictures. Those may be sent to the same e-mail address. Thank you very much.

Also please visit a site, www.coleballay.com , created by Cole's

uncle, Jim Jacoby .

Contributions . . .

Our son, Austin, a student at Germantown Academy

and former soccer teammate of Cole, first heard the news of Cole's

untimely death at school just after 5 pm on 2/19/08. We immediately

stormed heaven with prayers hoping against hope that somehow this

unthinkable tragedy was only a vicious rumor. Before 7 pm, we received

the official word from Germantown Academy that this tragedy was a

reality. Words cannot adequately express the sadness that we feel about

Cole's untimely death. It seems so much more tragic that someone so

full of life, with so much athletic talent, and zest for life, poised

for a future so bright, could be taken from us in a freak traffic

accident on his way home from school. We have many memories of Cole

skillfully maneuvering down a soccer field with a look of confidence and

a smile on his face. That picture will stay with us forever. To Cole's

parents Nan and Tom we offer our heartfelt sympathies and prayers. It

must be true when they say, "Only the good die young." Rest in peace

Cole. Heaven must need a stellar soccer star and an awesome young man.

-- The Curry Family

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Cole has been a patient

at my chiropractic office for some time. It was obvious by his many

athletic injuries that he was a true warrior. No matter how bad the

injury he never would listen when I suggested to stay off a wounded

limb. He was always pushing himself to the limits of his abilities

and beyond. Cole never got down when he was hurt, he seemed to know

that no matter what he would pull through and be back on the field

in time for the game. It was if he could will himself better. When

Cole would get sports massage on an injured muscle I could never

push hard enough, “You can press harder” he’d urge me as if the more

it hurt the sooner he’d be back doing what he loved to do. We’d

joke: “Pain: a sign of weakness leaving the body.”

His mom and I would

chat about his amazing abilities and warn him about the dangers of

the opposite sex. I could never stop myself from remarking to her

what a great kid she had. I would of course remind a sometimes

impatient Cole how lucky he was to have such a great mom who would

do almost anything to help her son achieve his goals.

I normally don’t get to

see the newspaper in the morning, but as I waited for someone to

show up for a meeting I grabbed the paper and saw Cole’s picture on

the front page. My first thought was that he won some type of award

or was selected to another travel team. I can’t express the shock

and dismay I felt at seeing news of his untimely passing.

We have lost a warrior

and a friend. Although I can’t help but wonder how his life would

have turned out I take some solace in knowing that he lived life

playing at 100 percent, achieved so much in a short amount of time

and left us all better for having known him.

-- Johnny King-Marino

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The Lovitz family would like to

extend their deepest sympathies to Nan and Tom, and to the

entire GA community. We have lost such a very special person! He

was the life and spirit of the soccer team, his passion and

talent inspirational to anyone who saw him play. He will live on

in our thoughts and our hearts.

Here are some pictures from the soccer team's party . . .

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I knew Cole since about 3rd grade. We

went to elementary school together and I can still see him

running around the soccer field at recess. Then I came to GA in

6th grade and at the end of my 3rd year there, a visitor walks

in with green Chuck Taylor's and long hair. I was excited to see

Cole at GA, a kid who I had known since we were little was going

to be joining me in high school, graduating 2009. I'm sorry we

can't spend senior year together bro. I'm sorry I didn't get to

know you better once you came to GA, but the times when we hung

out were real. Cole brought life to every party, every class,

every person he was around. He could make people laugh so

easily. One thing I admired about Cole was that he wasn't afraid

to say something. He wasn't afraid to stand up for himself. He

could pick fights standing at 5'6''. On the soccer field, it was

like nobody could touch him. I always said he would make a great

D-back on the football field, but soccer was his passion, and

there is no doubt that he excelled at it. I'm shocked that

something this horrible could happen to such a great kid with so

much potential. 17 years is not enough, not even close. But in

those 17 years Cole lived more than any of us. My thoughts and

prayers go out to Cole's family and close friends. We've lost an

awesome young man, but I guarantee he is living it up in Heaven.

Stay strong everyone. -- Pete Haines, GA '09 ---- Here are two essays Cole wrote; one for

a class at GA and one prior to admission . . .

Cole

Ballay

Ms. Honeycutt

Period: D

English IV

5/16/07

The

First Morning of The Rest of My Life

The Earth and

all of its wonders surround the human race in a surreal land of

marvel and wonder. One of the most emotionally captivating, and

majestic sensations man can have is the smell, sound, and sight

experienced on the first day of summer. Many times in this

overbearing modern world, priorities are shuffled and senses are

desensitized due to the lack of time to taken to appreciate

nature. The single most tantalizing and rejuvenating experience

my senses have encountered came on the first morning of the

summer going into my first year of high school. The emotional

frenzy which occurred on that summer morning gave me an eye

opening experience that presented a new outlook on life and the

world around me thus making me the optimistic person I am today.

My

eyelids felt glued shut. Sleep was the only thing on my mind. My

trance of inner peace was soon broken however. Like water expels

from a dam, my nostrils flooded with an odor, which corralled

itself into my nasal passage. The origin of the smell became

more evident to me, a partially propped open window to the left

of my disheveled bed. Trying hard not to open my eyes, I

sniffed, snuffled, and snarled until my nose was able to

diagnose the eclectic summer breeze. The honeysuckle plant

released a sweet and light odor, while the freshly cut grass

spread a pungent, yet tangy, and fresh scent. Sludge and

gasoline poured from the cars clanking by on Route 313, and

lifted into the diffusing air of my bedroom. The smell was

pungent, and lingered in my nasal cavity, on the tip of my

pallet.

My

ears buzzed with the sound of a million different sources, each

with a different pitch and tone. The birds sang in perfect

rhythm and meter, small lungs struggling to make their songs

heard. The crickets’ internal instruments echoed a sweet

chirping as their tunes resonated through my propped open

window. The man-made noises intruded on natures’ natural

symphony. The cars sputtered along the road in each way, their

engines churning out roaring acceleration, tightly wound gear

shifts, and squealing horns. The distant, distinct rustle of

lawn mowers vibrated the sound waves in a rough series of notes,

while the clamor of men’s laughter and the playful giggling of

children smoothed and sped the beat. All of the magnificence and

musical masterpiece of the outside world filtered through the

one partially open window of my room, and straight into my ears.

Inside my room the breeze whistled, the ruffled sheets were

lightly draped over my body, and the springs of my bed creaked

and moaned on the wooden frame.

As my senses became

more engulfed by nature, my body became awakened, and I rose

from my fleeting slumber. Driven to the opening in my window by

smell and sound, I looked to the right, and there at eye level

was a portal into a new world. Standing up with as much vigor as

a bull, I rushed to the opening. My head slid into the propped

open space, and a scene was painted before my eyes that I will

never forget. The grass seemed greener than ever before. The

evergreen trees looked stronger than oxen, and their pine

needles were crisp and firm. The garden was flowing with life.

The textured plants were as smooth as babies’ bottoms, and the

vivid flowers were in blues, reds, yellows, and oranges. The sky

was a soft blue, with no clouds in sight. The scene was so clear

that Heaven was almost visible. Kneeling there in shock and awe,

I came to realize that this was a milestone day for me. My

journey into adulthood had begun.

The

world was no longer a black and white picture, but a vibrant and

creative photograph. The emotional pandemonium which occurred on

that summer morning gave me an eye opening experience that

presented a new outlook on life and the world around me; thus

making me the optimistic person I am today. I came to the

realization that although life seems short and our lives at

times seem insignificant, taking time to appreciate the world

and all of its natural wonders makes you realize how big the

earth is, and how many opportunities for greatness will arise

throughout the course of life. If not for the smells, sounds,

and sights on that morning, I may not have reflected on my life

and realized the importance of optimism. A greater understanding

of life’s’ deeper events is only fully acquired by taking time

out and appreciating life’s smaller events. Carpe Diem!!!

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if !mso

endif

FALL 2004, Application for

Germantown Academy, age 13

Cole T.

Ballay

A Glimpse into My Passion

“Soccer player”,

is how people usually label me. However, I am more than a

generalized label. I am a young man who is intensely devoted

and obsessed with the “beautiful game”. I can remember even as

a very young child the sensations of running with the ball at my

feet and the breeze whipping by my hair and ears. I am older

now and those exhilarating memories will hopefully remain with

me forever. With many soccer related experiences to come, I

will always be mindful of these earliest impressions, and

regardless of where soccer takes me in the future, they will

forever remain fresh sources of inspiration.

For me soccer is

more than a hobby or past time. It is an anti-drug; a way of

making new friends; a way of expanding my views and aspects of

life, and most importantly, it is the core of my being. When I

think about something that I feel passionate about, one word

comes to mind, soccer.

As I advance in

youth soccer, I appreciate the opportunities that I have had in

the past and those future ones, which I must seek and earn.

Being chosen for the Region 1, O.D.P. team, the Regional

Champions, the Delco Hammerheads, and the Super Y National Camp

have widened my horizons. While participating in the regional

tournaments and camps, my eyes have been opened to other walks

of like, other peoples, their differences from and similarities

to me. These events made me realize that others are just as

willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. I must

continue to work hard and take advantage of opportunities that

come my way to achieve my goals.

However, I must

also remind myself that soccer is more than diligence. It is a

sport, which I have always enjoyed. Like all games, it involves

skill and strategy. This is what makes a game fun. At present,

it still is. When I am out on the field, it is as though

everything else drifts away. Anger, confusion, frustration,

worry and all outside distractions become insignificant. The

exhilarating feelings of my youth resurface from memory to

present reality.

How could one

game consisting of a ball, 22 players, and a net, mean so much

to me? I have no answer to this question, but whatever, it is,

I will continue to do it until the end of my days. I am Cole

Ballay, a young man, and I love soccer!

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