Honoring A Former Player at a Soccer Game

Here's the text of something I shared yesterday as we honored those who have served our country...we loved wearing our special warm up shirts and sharing this day with one of our former players who is serving in Afghanistan right now...

Thanks for coming to the first home CU men’s soccer game of the 2011 season. We are excited for a great season ahead filled with lots of great soccer action on our home pitch. We are also excited today to honor a very special group of people at today's match. The men’s team is wearing special warm up camouflage shirts today to honor those who have and are currently serving our country as members of our military community. Written across the guys’ shirts is the team motto, the word Kopion, a Greek word that means working to the point of exhaustion for your cause and your team. There is no other group that embodies the Kopion spirit better than our armed forces as they protect and serve our nation and people around the world. The CU soccer team especially remembers and is grateful for the service of one of our former teammates and friends. Dan Kerstan was our starting goalkeeper who decided after his sophomore year to become an army ranger in the summer of 2010. Dan was one of the hardest working players in our program and was deeply involved in our team’s global service work in the Dominican Republic. Dan’s love for children and for justice in our world has led him to Afghanistan where he is currently stationed and is on the front lines in securing peace and safety and freedom for his fellow officers and the people of Afghanistan. We miss Dan every day but couldn't be prouder of what he is doing as our teammate and brother on our behalf. It is an unbelievable privilege and surprise to many of us to have Dan here today with us, as he is taking a bit of R and R time before returning to his post in Afghanistan later this month. Will you give him and all of our other military officers your thanks for their service with a round of applause? Thank you very much! Will you pray with me as we take a moment to pray for Dan and all those serving with him around the world today?