November 18, 2024

A constant downpour didn’t stop Mercy Home youth from cheering on one of their own in Chicago De La Salle High School’s 3-0 win in the Illinois High School Association’s Class 2A soccer super-sectional this fall.

Antonio, a defender for the Meteors boys’ soccer team and Mercy Home resident, has been a central player in De La Salle’s 27 game unbeaten streak and best season in school history. At every game, Antonio is typically supported in the stands by his older sister and one or two Mercy Home coworkers. But to Antonio’s surprise, a group of his fellow residents showed up in the stands for the super-sectional match up.

“We had the expectation that we would be there for maybe 5-10 minutes,” Morgan Doyle, a youth program manager at Mercy Home, said. “It was not like it was light drizzle, it was downpouring rain. I was fully expecting to be back in that minivan again shortly, but they stuck it out and were yelling ‘Go Toni.’ It’s just a testament to how lovely the community has really become and how supportive they are of one another.“

At the game, Doyle said none of them complained about the weather. They were each standing by the fence so that they could catch a glimpse and try to get Antonio’s attention.

“I checked in with Toni during bed prep and listed all of the Mercy Home people that were there,” Doyle said. “He was really surprised and smiling ear to ear.”

Following the game, Mercy Home coworkers picked up pizzas for the boys to enjoy back in the warm comfort of the Home. When Antonio arrived later, his friends roared with applause.

“In my six-and-a-half years of being at Mercy Home, I’ve never seen community support like that,” Doyle said. “I’m so grateful that we have coworkers that are so open to doing different things. They demonstrate to the youth that even standing in the rain can be fun.”

De La Salle’s super-sectional win earned them a trip to the school’s first ever state semifinals. Sadly the Meteors’ storybook season came to an end at the hands of Prairie Ridge. But Mercy Home is proud of Antonio and the his peers who braved a heavy rain to show their support. It’s an example of the strong relationships our young people build with one another and with staff while living with us.

After his high school soccer season ends, Antonio will play for the Chicago Fire Youth Soccer Club.

“Toni is one of the kindest, most patient and hardworking kids in the world,” Doyle said. “He’s so respectful, so polite, school-oriented, family oriented and he’s also super playful and fun. And because of that, I think all of his peers look up to him because of the leader that he is, and they just enjoy having him around. I don’t think that you could find anyone in this building that could say a bad word about Toni.”