19th Annual Mikey Williams Soccer Game: Alumni Leading The Assist

By Trish Griswold

Twenty years ago, the inaugural Mikey Williams Alumni Soccer Game kicked off on King’s Plain in memory of the late Michael “Mikey” Williams. This year marks the 19th annual game, as the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Founders of this memorial fundraiser (L-R) include Mike Ackerman, Dave Robinson, Bob Williams, and Darlene Williams. Missing: Matt Ackerman. TBWS/Trish Griswold

Woodsville, NH—Mikey Williams was a standout soccer player at Woodsville High School (WHS). A four-year varsity player, the outside fullback anchored his team’s defense, helping guide the Engineers to a semi-final bid under the tutelage of Coach Mike Ackerman. Known for his speed, tenacity, and incredible work ethic, Mikey’s prowess on the soccer field earned him the respect of both his teammates and his opponents.

“Soccer meant everything to Mikey,” his mom, Darlene, fondly recalls. “He had a hard time in school. It was a challenge for him academically, but soccer made him feel important. That’s where he shined.”

The fervor and intensity Mikey showcased on the soccer field was a mirror image of his passion for people and for life. Known as an adventure-seeker, Mikey lived life to the fullest. “He was one of those bigger-than-life type of human beings. He was always up for an adventure, and he cared about every human being around him,” remarks Dave Robinson, Mikey’s best friend and teammate. “Everybody loved Mikey. He was just one of those people that everybody gravitated toward. He didn’t judge anybody. He made people who weren’t friends, friends. Mikey brought people together. That was just his personality.”

Mikey was 26 years old when he lost his life in a 2006 car accident. Turning grief into purpose, Dave partnered with teammate Matt Ackerman and Coach Ackerman to launch the inaugural Mikey Williams Alumni Soccer Game in August of 2007. With full support from Mikey’s parents, Bob and Darlene, the annual match-up honors his passion for soccer and his love of people.

According to Dave, the event began as a single contest between WHS alumni and the WHS boys’ soccer team. Within a few years, however, former girls’ soccer coach Ann Loud rallied enough players to add a separate alumni game against the WHS girls’ team. While the event traditionally took place on the last Saturday in August, last year marked a historic shift when games were played under the lights on King’s Plain. The lights, Darlene explains, were paid for through the Mikey Williams Memorial Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide financial support for local athletes. “I have been watching soccer on this field since 1960, and it’s always been a dream of the soccer community to have lights here.”

The force behind all of this, Darlene says, is Dave Robinson. “He’s got it down to a science, and he’s done such a wonderful job. He was such a good friend to Mike. That whole crowd of boys—Michael, David, Jason [Roy], and the Ackerman boys [Matt and Ryan]—that whole group, they stayed friends forever, and a lot of it was from growing up playing soccer, being included, and being with the same people. No matter what their ability was in school, they were equal on the field.”

Classmates, family, friends, and community members come from miles away each year to share stories, celebrate Mikey’s legacy, and raise funds to support future generations of athletes, linking the WHS soccer program – past, present, and future. Local businesses generously donate food items for the concession stand as well as gift certificates and other items for a basket raffle. The funds raised through concession sales, 50/50 raffles, basket raffles, and direct donations help provide scholarships for local athletes who wish to attend individual or team camps/clinics, such as Team Week, a weeklong soccer camp hosted by Keene State College.

“Fundraising efforts have ignited opportunities for soccer players, including attending soccer camp. This year, nine players from the girls’ soccer program attended camp in efforts to, what we hope, will reestablish the tradition in years to come,” remarks WHS girls’ soccer coach Sara Lang. “Many thanks to the family of Mikey, who not only strive to keep his memory alive but also support our youth in his honor.”

“This event is about the sport itself, but it’s also about community. It’s about how the community rallies around each other and around something we care about,” Dave adds, explaining that extracurricular activities, such as athletics, band, chorus, etc., can play an important role in a child’s life. “While you can learn in the classroom, [extra-curriculars] teach things that go to the next level. It is leadership, integrity, teamwork… all the things you need in the real world to succeed.”

The 19th Annual Mikey Williams Alumni Soccer Game will be held this Saturday, August 22, under lights on King’s Plain. The men’s game is slated to begin at 6:00 pm, followed by the women’s game at 8:00 pm. For more information or to make a donation, please contact Dave Robinson via email at drobinson3314@gmail.com or by phone at (603) 359-9330. Youth interested in applying for a scholarship should contact WHS Athletic Director Lori Taylor at (603) 747-2781 or ltaylor@sau23.org.