Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009 | 2:38 p.m.
The new soccer field at Bishop Gorman High will be dedicated to former coach Victor Arbelaez in a ceremony Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Arbelaez, 371-31-8 with 11 boys’ and girls’ state titles during his 23-year career, passed away in October 2007.
The name of the field hasn’t even been revealed to the late coach’s two sons or daughter.
“We won’t know until the Cashman family unveils it Friday,” said Victor “Boomer” Arbelaez, Jr. “We’ve heard things here and there about what it will be called, but they didn’t want anyone to know until the ceremony.”
When Boomer Arbelaez went to Summerlin Hospital on Oct. 11, 2007, to learn of his father’s fate, he reacted by punching a wall in a waiting room with his right fist.
He broke two bones in his hand, and two pins were inserted to promote healing in surgery. Six days later, he wore a cast on his hand for his father’s funeral and for most of the next month.
“Right when I found out it was pretty shocking news,” Arbelaez said. “My emotions … I was really in shock. I didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t thinking, because I hit a wall. That was pretty bad.”
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Victor Sr. came the U.S. with his family in 1966. He helped the University of San Francisco win an NCAA title in 1975.
Two years later, he scored the lone goal for the Las Vegas Quicksilvers in a North American Soccer League match against the New York Cosmos at what is now Sam Boyd Stadium, upstaging world-famous stars Pele of the Cosmos and Eusebio of the Quicksilvers.
Boomer Arbelaez was shocked when he heard about the field dedication to his father.
“Such an honor," Arbelaez said. "It’s all he ever wanted. It’s all he spoke about before he passed away. He gave so much to that school. I think about him every minute. Not a second goes by where I don’t think about him.”
Nick Arbelaez, Boomer's older brother, coaches both of Gorman’s soccer teams. The school is located at Russell Road and Hualapai Way in Summerlin.
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