Carol Maas

It is with great sadness we learned of Carol’s passing last night. Without her vision and passion for the sport of soccer and her tournament — the adidas Warrior Soccer Classic — it is no small thing to know that TourneyCentral would have had a rockier start and might not even exist today.

Carol took a risk on a crazy idea from two soccer fans twenty-one years ago, in whom her faith and trust never wavered. In return, we learned from her what true community investment meant and saw how many lives she touched. From a simple idea of creating a soccer tournament to a sprawling complex, witnessing her faith in the potential of others was humbling and breathtaking. I was lucky she gave me a front-row seat into her world and embraced me as a friend. I shall treasure having known her the rest of my life.

My heart goes out to Hank and her family in their hour of grief. Her legacy will always and forever be felt with every whistle blown, every medal won, every touch of a ball.

Rest In Peace, Carol; you will be deeply missed.

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Carol really hated it when I took her photo, but I did anyway on occasion, even as I knew she would yell at me. In the photo above, she is standing with Michael Blackwell who, because of her, was able to bring out the life of her tournaments in photos that have been shared and treasured immeasurably by thousands of players and their families.

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