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SANDY — Soccer isn’t always about winning. Sometimes, it’s about the common bond that brings athletes and spectators together — the hope of a brighter day.
Jon Cervantes knew 11-year-old Myles Rackley could use a brighter day or many brighter days after the shooting that wounded him and killed his mom and little brother, so he brought the boy and his father, Dustin Rackley, to the Real Salt Lake practice field where his favorite players greeted him and autographed jerseys.
“Seeing this kid smile, to bring back a smile after what happened, it’s nice,” Cervantes said. “I feel good about it.”
Cervantes, a painter, said he became a friend of the family after several projects, and felt like he wanted to do something to help.
He had worked for two weeks to arrange the meeting.
Myles was injured June 6 and his mother, Memorez Rackley, and brother, Jase, died after being gunned down on a street in their quiet Sandy neighborhood by a man who Memorez Rackley had been dating during the time she was separated from her husband.
They were buried in Sandy on Tuesday.
During his time at the practice, Myles met most of the team, including Kyle Beckerman and Yura Movsisyan, who offered a bit of advice.
"Nothing ever slows you down," Movsisyan said. "Remember that."
And his favorite player, Nick Rimando, did more than autograph a jersey. "Here, you want these gloves? I've got a spare pair," Rimando said as he gave the young fan his gloves.
“It was amazing having everybody come and do this for us!” exclaimed Myles, who is still recovering from his wounds.
Cervantes said he was pleased with how the surprise outing for Myles turned out.
“It turned out better than what I thought,” Cervantes said.
