'Remember her for who she was': Youth soccer organization dedicates memorial to deceased player
The Eitas family, surrounded by Madelyn's friends and soccer community, cut a ribbon to open Maddie's Circle at the Mariner Youth Soccer Complex on Friday, Aug. 28. Photos by Grace Roche
People passed out sunflowers among the crowd gathered at the sports complex. 
Becky Eitas spoke during the ceremony. 
Elliot Farm, in Lakeville, donated buckets of flowers. 
Maddie's Circle sits next to several of the complex's soccer fields. 
Photo boards commemorate Madelyn's life. 
A plaque memorializes Madelyn, surrounded by painted rocks. 
One rock bears a loving message. 
Becky Eitas embraces some of her daughter's former teammates. 
Madelyn's former teammates smile for a photo with her family.
The Eitas family, surrounded by Madelyn's friends and soccer community, cut a ribbon to open Maddie's Circle at the Mariner Youth Soccer Complex on Friday, Aug. 28. Photos by Grace Roche
People passed out sunflowers among the crowd gathered at the sports complex.
Becky Eitas spoke during the ceremony.
Elliot Farm, in Lakeville, donated buckets of flowers.
Maddie's Circle sits next to several of the complex's soccer fields.
Photo boards commemorate Madelyn's life.
A plaque memorializes Madelyn, surrounded by painted rocks.
One rock bears a loving message.
Becky Eitas embraces some of her daughter's former teammates.
Madelyn's former teammates smile for a photo with her family.
FAIRHAVEN — With sunflowers in hand and tears in their eyes, the Mariner Youth Soccer community gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Maddie’s Circle.
Madelyn Eitas’s former teammates, friends and family gathered at 270 Huttleston Ave. to dedicate the memorial space in memory of the 11-year-old Rochester girl who died earlier this year.
Madelyn was trapped in an avalanche at Brighton Ski Resort in Brighton, Utah on Feb. 19 during a family trip over February break. Her brother Cameron was among about 20 people searching for her, and he located her using an app on their phones.
Madelyn had been buried for 30 minutes when she was found and was transferred to a hospital in critical condition. She died in the hospital later that day.
Her mother, Becky Eitas, spoke about how much the team meant to her daughter during the ceremony.
“It's a difficult thing to come to games and not see those long legs, her slick back pony with her head wrap, or hear her voice yelling to her teammates,” she said. “Number 11 is missed out on that field. I think we can all say that we miss seeing that silly smiley girl in every aspect of our lives.”
In the months since Madelyn died during the February ski trip, Eitas said the soccer organization’s community has supported her family and has helped her memory live on.
She described Madelyn as easy to love, welcoming and hard working. She asked people to “please remember her for who she was and not how we lost her.”
Madelyn’s former coach Greg Visinho said he always strives to change the lives of the kids he coaches, but they can have a surprising impact on his life too.
He pointed to Madelyn’s kindness, humor and sassiness as just a few characteristics of the player who had a “massive impact” on his life.
He said he hopes Maddie’s Circle, a ring of picnic tables encircling a tree with an oversized Adirondack chair nearby, will be a place people can rest, make memories and enjoy time together.
“We hope that every time someone sits here, walks by it, or watches a game from Maddie’s Circle, they are reminded of the person Maddie was,” Visinho said.
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