Eastside girls soccer head coach David Craig is all about reminding his players it’s “bigger than soccer.”
For each the past four years, the Lady Eagles have taken a day to showcase just that.
The Tammy Zywicki Memorial game is played each year at Eastside High School between the Lady Eagles and an opponent. This year's game took place on April 25, a 1-0 Eastside win over Daniel.
The goal? To keep the spotlight shining on the 1992 murder of Tammy Zywicki, a graduate of Eastside High School.
“This is a way we show the girls that yes, soccer is fun. But there is a bigger work at play here, and it’s not about us,” said Craig. “There have been a lot of people to come through this program, and to be able to provide special recognition for one, that’s what it’s about.”
Zywicki graduated from Eastside High School in 1989 and was instrumental in founding the girls’ soccer program at the school. While heading to Grinnell College in Iowa for her senior year in August of 1992, Zywicki’s car broke down. She was found dead on the highway over a week after her disappearance was first reported to authorities by her mother.
The case went cold after several years. Friends and family of Zywicki have done tireless work to keep her case in the light, hoping someone will come forward with details about who is responsible.
The yearly memorial soccer game has been vital in their efforts.
“From the moment we mentioned this to Coach Craig, he was immediately like ‘I’m in,’” said Mari Blackwell, one of Tammy's closest childhood friends. “It’s been amazing, because it’s allowed us to keep her in the public eye.”
“It would be so nice if we didn’t have to have these, but we do, and it’s so special to us,” said Tammy’s brother, Dean. “The girls on the soccer team, they now know what Tammy’s legacy is. The girls, I believe, appreciate playing in her honor. That means a ton to us.”
During the game, the number 15 is painted on the field with angel wings. Fifteen was the number Zywicki wore when she played for the Lady Eagles. The players wear armbands commemorating her life.
Zywicki’s family and friends are also introduced and walk onto the field before the game, sharing some words about the late Tammy along with Craig.
In the battle to keep her case and memory alive, it means everything to those who knew her closest.
“It means everything to have this each year,” said Tammy’s oldest brother, Todd. “And it shows just how much of an impact she made on people. She truly made the world a better place.”
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