Kayden Davis Recognized In Emotional Soccer Ceremony

 

 

As is the custom at Lucerne Valley High School, high school senior athletes are recognized for being integral parts of their teams, and, in turn, the athletes share heartfelt memories and words of gratitude. That again occurred on Wednesday, January 24th, when the Girls Varsity Soccer Team held its Senior Night before its final home game against Summit Leadership Academy. Recognized were senior Alessandra Aguilar Calderon and Kayden Davis, the beloved student-athlete who was a member of the Class of 2024.

 

With a small but devoted crowd dressed in their winter clothes sitting in the stands, Co-Athletic Director Kevin Barda read comments and speeches. After Alessandra received a gift and flowers from the team, Mr. Barda read her speech:

 

“Writing this makes me so sad, on how much I wanted this moment to come and now that I’m here I don’t want time to fly,” Alessandra wrote. “Let me start off by saying thank you to my parents who are an important part of my life. You were always there to pick me up from practice and you would always encourage me to try my best.”

 

 

She had kind words for her Head Coach Leah Paddack and Assistant Coach Amanda Mayner.

 

“Not only do our coaches teach us about our sport but also life lessons like leadership, teamwork, accountability, and punctuality. These lessons stay with us for life, even after our time in the sport is over. Thank you for pushing me to be the best person I could be.There were countless times when I just wasn't giving it everything I had. You recognized that and pushed me to give it my all. If it was a sprint or a shooting drill you guys always encouraged me to put everything I had into it. This is a lesson I will carry with me.”

 

And her teammates mean so much to Alessandra.

 

“My wonderful teammates I want to thank each one of you guys for being a part of my life. You guys will always have a special place.”

 

Lastly, she thanked those who came throughout the season to support the Lady Mustangs.

 

“Thank you to the crowd who came and supported us in wins and losses and thank you for being here today to celebrate this moment.”

 

 

Also recognized was Kayden Davis, who died along with friend Kristy Klaus in a tragic traffic collision at the intersection of Highway 247 and Camp Rock Road in April of 2022. Both girls, who were 16 at the time, were student-athletes — Kristy and Kayden were members of the volleyball team, and Kayden also played soccer.

 

Kayden’s family joined the soccer team on the track in front of the crowd. Attending were her mother Sadie Davis, aunt Christa Davis, grandmother Britta Davis, sisters Zoey and Kailey and several other family members. The Davis family exchanged gifts with the soccer team then Mr. Barda shared a speech with memories of Kayden. There was a mixture of tears and smiles.

 

“Instead of reading a speech from Kayden, we have a speech for her,” Mr. Barda said. “Kayden was both a wonderful person and a wonderful player. Her presence in our hearts and on the field will never be forgotten.”

 

 

 

Coach Paddack: “She was born to play soccer. I will never forget her laughter every time she got hurt. She was such a goofball!”

 

Tatiana Raybon (a 2023 LVHS graduate) wrote, “I was honored to play alongside Kayden as a forward with her.The more we got to know each other and how we played the better we got to play as a team on the field.”

 

Teammate Jadyn Paddack said, “I remember being so nervous my first my first year of soccer as a freshman, and I will never forget Kayden making me feel included.”

 

Another teammate, Justice Rodriguez, said, “When I would get hurt playing goalie and I would be balling my eyes out and Kayden would just run right up to me and point out that my lashes were coming off.”

 

Alexa Orozco (also a 2023 graduate) said, “I always looked at her as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) because she was a beast on that soccer field.”

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Peter Day writes and photographs content for the Lucerne Valley USD’s web and social media pages. He can be reached at [email protected].