Teen’s family ‘just in a daze’ after tribute at Whitecaps game
Saturday’s tribute to deceased youth soccer player Travis Selje during the Whitecaps game was “beautiful and difficult at the same time,” says his uncle Markus.
“I saw maybe 10 or 15 seconds,” he said Monday before the emotions overwhelmed him. “We were just in a daze.”
His nephew, just 17 years old and a former Whitecaps youth player, was killed in a car accident earlier this month. Saturday was the first home game for the Whitecaps since his death.
An initial push from a fan to “Stand Up for Travis” gathered steam on social media over the past week or two with the Whitecaps’ major fan groups and the team itself picking up the torch as well.
In the 35th minute, all fans in the stadium stood up and applauded for Selje, who wore No. 35 for the Whitecap youth teams, a nod to his March 5 birthday.
Markus joined Selje’s parents Miki and Carola and sister Sara at the game. Another 40 or so family and friends, including teammates from Selje’s Surrey United soccer team, were in attendance as well.
“For the first 10 days (after the accident) there was so much support,” Markus said. Initially the plan was to sit in the stands, but the Whitecaps offered up a suite for the direct family members.
At one point, president Bob Lenarduzzi stopped by to share his condolences.
“We almost missed him,” Markus said, “because we were looking at a banner from the Curva Collective (one of the fan groups).”
Sara said the family has been floored to realize how many lives her brother touched.
“When we first heard (about the tribute), my dad was worried not too many people would join in,” she said.
For a brief moment, the family felt good again.
“It was good, but at the same time, you didn’t want to see your brother on the jumbotron like that,” she added.
Messages have poured in from near and far.
“From Brazil, from South Africa. We didn’t know that that many people knew Travis just through baseball and soccer,” he said.
“We’d like to thank the Whitecaps, the Southsiders, the Rain City Brigade, Willie’s Corner and the Curva Collective.”