Austin Wylie remembered at Shipley’s AW7 Memorial Kickoff

Bryn Mawr >> Philadelphia Union goalie Matt Freese, one of the featured speakers at Shipley’s 2019 AW7 Memorial Kickoff Aug. 23, reflected on the day-long affair held in honor of former Gator soccer star Austin Wylie, who passed away July 13, 2016.
“Austin and I knew each other since we were in pre-school,” said Freese, an Episcopal Academy grad. “He was ‘Mr. Do-It-All.’ It means a ton to me to be here today, and to have the play day named after Austin. He was an incredible person, and on and off the field changed lives. It’s incredible that we can honor him this way.”
In the fall of 2015, Wylie was named the Friends’ Schools League boys’ soccer Most Valuable Player, as well as All-State, All-Southeastern Pa. and first team All-Main Line.
“You couldn’t help but be amazed by his kindness, his hustle on the field and his work rate off the field to prepare for a season,” said Shipley boys’ soccer head coach Thom Schauerman. “Austin was everything you wanted in a student-athlete, a great young man. I remember all the conversations we had about soccer, all the intelligent questions he would ask. We love him, we miss him, and he’ll always be with us.”
The AW7 Memorial Kickoff (Wylie wore uniform jersey No. 7 for Shipley) included 11 varsity teams (Shipley, Harriton, Episcopal Academy, Malvern Prep, Bonner Prendergast, Kennett, Germantown Academy, Parkland, Conestoga, Germantown Friends and Springside Chestnut Hill) that played scrimmages at the Farm Fields from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the Gators competing in three of them. Junior varsity scrimmages were played at The Shipley School. The event used to be known as The Shipley School Play Day.
Schauerman said, “Earlier this year, we were trying to figure out the best way to honor Austin, and we thought the best way to honor him would be on the field, on a day that’s surrounded around soccer. It’s something that we want to keep growing. Not a lot of other play days have 11 teams.”
Brooksley Wylie (Austin’s mother), who was at the event, said, Austin really loved the Play Day; it’s hard for us [his family] to put into words what this [AW7 Memorial Kickoff] means, but knowing that he’s still remembered, loved and admired matters. I am so happy to see the Shipley soccer program thrive – Austin got so much out of his participation in soccer, it’s really nice to see other kids benefitting in the same way.”
One of the three scrimmages Shipley played at the AW7 Memorial Kickoff was against Harriton. Ram head coach Biff Sturla knew Wylie as a youngster, mainly through the Lower Merion Soccer Club.
“Austin was a great kid,” said Sturla. “He loved the game of soccer, played it with a passion and always gave 100 percent. His passing was a huge loss to the soccer world. I cried at his funeral which was attended by what had to be at least 1,000 people.”
When Wylie passed away in July 2016, it left a large void on the Bryn Mawr campus.
“I loved Austin,” said Shipley’s then-Head of School Steve Piltch a few days after Wylie passed away. “He was the kind of kid who, if he wanted to spend time with your sister, he would ask you if it was OK first. He remembered your birthday and found ways to surprise you. He was the hardest-working team player we had in any sport here at Shipley — I live next to the practice fields, and I would see him out there doing sprints and drills when no one else was around. When things went wrong on the field, he never made an excuse and never blamed a teammate.
“And it wasn’t only his teammates who loved, admired him, and respected him, everybody here at Shipley did. What seems clear is even though people felt as they did, he may not have known it. Moreover, though he had become a really fine player, I am not sure he knew he was as good as he was.”
At the AW7 Memorial Kickoff, Wylie was still remembered by the Shipley players.
“I can remember training with Austin in my freshman year, and this play day in Austin’s memory means a lot,” said Shipley senior midfielder and captain Umar Savinson. “It’s a great opportunity for us to get touches on the ball, play teams that we play during the [regular] season and improve.”
Shipley senior goalie Dean Maner added, “Austin had a big effect on this program, and this Play Day is a great tradition to keep Austin’s memory alive.”
Piltch added, “It’s hard to imagine that three years have past since Austin passed away. Many of us continue to think of him on a daily basis, and he continues to positively impact many people who knew him or know of him. The AW7 Memorial Kickoff is a perfect way to remember him and to reinforce his legacy. He was a terrific player and a better person.”
Shipley athletic director Mark Duncan said, “Austin represented everything that was great about our student-athletes, he was a hard worker, relentless, honorable on and off the field. He played some amazing games on this [Farm] Field.”
Schauerman wants to the see the AW7 event continue to grow, and contribute to the Shipley soccer community.
“We want to make this event more than just soccer, we want to give back to the soccer community and I want to get more people involved in this,” said Schauerman. “We’re going to start to incorporate different ideas from teams that come to this play day on how we can give back to the community through this event.
“AW7 will forever be in our hearts and forever on the field,”