Cole Ballay Tribute
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."
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Remembrances
The Curry Family: "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... 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."
Johnny King-Marino: "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... We have lost a warrior and a friend."
Pete Haines, GA '09: "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... Cole brought life to every party, every class, every person he was around. He could make people laugh so easily... On the soccer field, it was like nobody could touch him."
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Cole's Own Words
"The First Morning of The Rest of My Life" (English IV essay, 5/16/07)
"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... 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."
"A Glimpse into My Passion" (GA Application essay, Fall 2004, age 13)
"'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... 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... I am Cole Ballay, a young man, and I love soccer!"