Jeanine, her sister Susan, and I made our way to Islip, New York, on Long Island to watch Nico compete in the US Amputee Cup. We took the Cross Sound Ferry from New London, CT, to Orient Point, affording us views of several lighthouses along the way.

We arrived just in time for the opening ceremony and introduction of the 7 men’s teams and two women’s teams vying for the national amputee soccer title. The tournament, now in its fourth year, was originally established and organized by Nico and has grown in size and stature every year since. In addition to the 14 games that will be played over the weekend, a youth clinic will be offered on Saturday to help identify and develop the next generation of Team USA.