The new soccer press box at Providence High School is to be dedicated to the mother of two of its current varsity players.
Up to now, the school has used the baseball field's press box, which is a little distance away from the action.
However, an anonymous donor has given the school funds to help with a $50,000 two-storey press box, the foundation of which has just been poured and the blocks should be laid in the next two to three weeks. It is to be located outside the fence on the east side of the pitch, along the same side as the bleachers.
Providence HS president Joan Hurley said completion of the press box should be in May, weather permitting.
"There will be a great view of the whole field, both goals and all corners," she said.
The suggestion to dedicate the box to the memory of Kathy Brown, who recently passed away after her brave battle against colon and liver cancer, came from the anonymous donor. Kathy was the mother of sophomore players Wade and Trent, who were part of the Pioneers' sectional winning team last fall.
Hurley said the school was "only too delighted" to concur with the suggestion.
"Kathy was the ultimate soccer mom and an inspiration to us all," she said. "We are looking forward to putting all of this in place in her honor."
Kathy's husband, Tim, said Joan Hurley approached him at the visitation to inform him that the new press box for the soccer field will be dedicated to Kathy's memory.
"This really floored me," he said. "I could not think of anything more fitting to honor Kathy. We would like to express our deep thanks to the anonymous donor for honoring Kathy in this special way."
Tim said that Kathy's courage fighting her cancer was amazing.
"She was diagnosed in June of 2007 just prior to the boy’s freshmen season and she only missed one or two games in the two seasons of her illness," he said. "During the boys' freshman season, she would sit through the JV game (Trent) and the varsity game (Wade). Sometimes this was in 95 degree plus weather and on the same that she had chemo."
To the family's surprise, coach Adam Giovenco and assistant Brandon Rogers brought the boys' #20 and #14 jerseys to the funeral home.
" These are the new blue jerseys that they only played in during the sectional final and the regional games," said Tim. "They asked if we would like to placed them in Kathy’s casket, which we did. This was a really special gesture on the coach’s part and touched me and the boys deeply."
Tim has coached Southern Indiana United (sons Wade and Trent also play for SIU Rampage), and has also coached deanery soccer for Holy Family's 7th and 8th grade teams for the last three years. This year, he'll be coaching his daughter Bailey’s 3rd/4th grade team at Holy Family. Bailey will also be playing with Net-Surfers' U9 Academy.
Tim added that the entire southern Indiana soccer community has been so supportive of the family during Kathy's illness and passing.
"Everyone at SIU, the Net-Surfers, Holy Family Church, and Providence High School have gone out of their way to support us," he said. "We are truly thankful to live in such a supportive community."
Pictured above: The Browns pictured after Providence's sectional success last fall (from left): Kathy, Wade, Trent and Tim. Photo by Dana Crawley
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