Sports

WePlayFor3 honors the memory of Ally Sidloski

SYDNEY BLAKE • September 9, 2022

BY SYDNEY BLAKE

The Wadsworth girl’s varsity soccer team played a WePlayFor3 game on August 31 against Brecksville-Broadview Heights to honor Ally Sidloski, a former Strongsville High School and University of Cincinnati women’s soccer player.

WePlayFor3 has started an ongoing foundation through Cleveland Foundation on Sidloski’s behalf. WePlayFor3 has organized fundraisers to fund scholarships. One scholarship is awarded to a student-athlete at Strongsville High School to help fund their college education.

On May 22, 2021, Sidloski was out boating with her friends and inhaled carbon monoxide fumes from the boat. Sidloski fell into the water unconscious and drowned.

Now, the Sidloski family spreads awareness about the harms of carbon monoxide poisoning and continues Ally’s legacy through scholarships, foundations, and of course, soccer.

Sidloski wore the number three in her soccer career at Strongsville High School and the University of Cincinnati.

David and Tracie Sidloski speak before the Wadsworth versus Brecksville-Broadview Heights girls varsity soccer game. After this, players from both teams released balloons to honor the memory of Ally Sidloski.
**PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH NICHOLAS**

“WePlayFor3” started with one of Ally’s friends,” said David Sidloski, Ally’s father. “It first started as an Instagram hashtag, and then we started using it for everything we did on Ally’s behalf.”

The University of Cincinnati has created the “Ally Sidloski Bearcat Strong” award. This award is awarded to Bearcat student-athletes who showcase qualities that Sidloski had.

Ella Dinwiddie, a member of the Wadsworth girl’s varsity soccer team, set up this event with the help of Shea Vid, a member of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights varsity girls’ soccer team. Both Dinwiddie and Vid were coached by David Sidloski.

“I organized this months before, I knew this season I wanted to do a memorial game for Ally,” Dinwiddie said. “Brecksville was the perfect game since my club teammate is on the team and we both organized it.”

Since Sidloski had such passion for the game of soccer, WePlayFor3 highlights her dedication.

“WePlayFor3 means we play for Ally and what she represented,” Dinwiddie said. “She was an outstanding player with a ton of passion for the game. She never gave up so when we say WePlayFor3 we want to play as Ally did, with all the passion and hard work.”

Many communities continue to show their support for the Sidloski family.

“It’s sweet of the Wadsworth community to do this,” David Sidloski said. “We are very thankful and blessed to have such kind people to help us heal.”

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About the Contributor

SYDNEY BLAKE, Sports Editor

Sydney Blake is a senior and has been on the Bruin staff for two years. This year, she is Sports Editor. She plays varsity soccer for the high school. She is a part of various clubs and activities at WHS, like being an active member of the National Honors Society, teaching 4th graders the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure with the HUDDLE program, and being a Peer Mentor for the freshmen class. After high school, she plans to attend college to study biochemistry and create a future for herself in the medical field. She is a huge Taylor Swift fan and loves going to country concerts in the summer.