Finding the Inspiration From Within
May 29, 2008 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
New Jersey Ironmen News Release
When he woke up on Saturday, March 29, 14-year-old Tyler O'Malley was expecting to catch a hockey game that night. He had no idea that he was in for one the best days of his life.
Tyler has spent his whole life surrounded by the game of soccer in his hometown of Cape Coral, Florida. He was an All-Star goalkeeper for the Cape Coral Cyclones, and he emulated his play after his favorite player, Tony Meola. He had quite the reputation around the Gulf Coast, recording shutouts in nearly 90 percent of the games that he played in net, and he displayed a constant leadership both on and off the field.
On May 19, 2007, the life of this young man would change drastically.
Tyler suffered a seizure early that morning and was taken to the hospital. After four days of testing, it would be discovered that he suffers from a congenital defect of the circulatory system called arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Due to the risk of head trauma, Tyler had unexpectedly laced up his boots for the last time in his playing career. Rather than developing feelings of resentment for his condition, he maintained a positive outlook, and the young leader did what he could to overcome any negative thoughts. In addition to helping his father by becoming an assistant coach to his little brother's team, Tyler has also ensured that soccer will remain a main component of his life by acquiring his Florida State Referee certification.
"Even though this has put an end to his soccer career, Tyler strives on," his father, Brian, commented. "Tyler remains upbeat and continues on each day. He has taken on the role of assisting me in coaching his five-year-old brother's soccer team and has taken on the role of refereeing soccer so he can still enjoy the game."
The reason behind Tyler traveling to New Jersey this past March was to undergo some medical tests. His aunt and Kearny native, Joanne Gouveia, happened to run into Ironmen goalkeeper coach and broadcast announcer Sal Rosamilia at a dinner prior to their arrival. She stated that her family was planning a surprise for Tyler to go to the March 29 match-up against La Raza de Monterrey so he could finally see Meola play in person. To keep it a surprise, Brian O'Malley told his son all week that he was going to a hockey game, and Tyler spent the whole week ready to see the Devils play on Saturday night. Unbeknownst to him, the Devils were off that night, and his father had something entirely different on tap.
In addition to the game, the hope of Tyler's family was to get him something autographed by his favorite soccer player. Once Meola and the Ironmen caught wind of the situation, they collectively decided that he deserved much more than a ticket and an autographed poster.
Tyler arrived for what he anticipated as a hockey game about an hour or so before kickoff. It was not until he walked to the concourse and saw the turf that he realized he was at a professional soccer game, and he was immediately taken to Ironmen team bench right after his arrival. Before he knew it, he turned around towards the locker room entrance and saw Meola walking directly towards him.
The man that he had mirrored his game after was now standing right in front of him. The young leader who has always fought through anything that life had faced him with now found himself unsure how to react to his current situation. Five minutes ago, he thought he was going to a hockey game.
Meola, who has recently launched his own line of goalkeeper gloves and attire called GK-1, warmly introduced himself to Tyler. In his hands, Meola held the first pair of GK-1 gloves that had arrived from his production line in China. He informed Tyler that he was going to wear his gloves for the first time ever that night, but without hesitation, he gave that first pair to Tyler.
After the two exchanged conversation, Meola led Tyler into the Ironmen locker room where he was able to meet New Jersey Head Coach Omid Namazi and the rest of his teammates. They all introduced themselves and signed an official MISL ball for Tyler, posing for pictures with him the entire way. Once he made his rounds in the locker room, Tyler grabbed a seat on the Ironmen bench and watched his new favorite indoor team during warm-ups. Once they wrapped up and headed to the zamboni to prepare for player introductions, Meola asked Tyler to run out with him, and he quickly agreed.
After getting to the last player introduction, Ironmen public address announcer Ed Kalegi called out the former U.S. National Team goalkeeper. While making their way through the Spirit of Newark inflatable, Tyler and Meola both threw their hands in the air to the crowd. Tyler was again emulating his favorite player; only now, his favorite player was right beside him.
That night, the Ironmen won a critical 14-12 decision over La Raza de Monterrey, a game that would play a massive role in New Jersey reaching the 2008 playoffs. Without a doubt, something was different about that night. Tyler had spent his entire life battling for every second in each small victory he had achieved, and it is almost fitting that he saw the Ironmen win the game after fighting down to the last tick of the game clock in such an "inspired effort." If anyone knows the meaning of that phrase, it would definitely be young Tyler O'Malley, a true inspiration to all.
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from May 29, 2008
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- Finding the Inspiration From Within - New Jersey Ironmen
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