Avon Soccer Teams Play to Remember Gym Teacher Who Passed Away

A longtime Avon Middle School physical education teacher died last week of "a brief illness," according to an announcement posted on the town website and blog on Patch. 

Avon's girls and boys varsity soccer teams will dedicate their games this week to the teacher, Colleen Martin, who was battling liver and colon cancer. 

On Tuesday, the boys played Ellington under the lights on the Avon High School football field in her honor. The Falcons were up 3-0 with 17 minutes left in the first half of the game just before 8 p.m.

They were sporting blue and green jerseys, which are the colors "associated with liver and colon cancer," head boys varsity coach David Zlatin said.  

Zlatin worked with her at some track meets and in the district and said that Martin also "coached middle school field hockey for a number of years."

"It seems Avon has had more than its share of cancer related stories and this is not the first time we have used our night game as a platform to fighting all forms of cancer," Zlatin said. "This year, it was the student athletes who suggested the idea be continued and requested that the games be a tribute to Ms Martin."

The girls team will play rival Suffield in the same location on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.

Girls head coach James Murray said that his assistant coach, Jeanine LaBrosse was close friends with Martin and that all of his players knew her well. 

"She was a wonderful person who enjoyed life," Murray said. "I never worked with her as a coach but she was involved in many after school sports at the middle school. She had a close relationship with our field hockey players." 

Proceeds from the games will benefit cancer research in her honor. 

“Colleen taught 7th and 8th grade P.E., so she touched virtually all of our student-athletes in some way,” Avon High School Athletic Director Newell Porch said in a statement. “The kids are pretty shook up about her passing.  They came up with the fundraising idea as a way to honor her.”

The boys soccer team is currently 11-2 and the girls are 11-1. 

The high-ranked teams are raffling off autographed game balls and selling refreshments to help benefit the cause. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.