Athletics: “Play Like Connor Today” Video Honored by University – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
Video remembering fallen men’s soccer player a part of International Day for Sharing Life Stories program
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Department of Athletics will be represented at the 2008 International Day for Sharing Life Stories program put on by the Wexner Center Film and Video Theater at 9:30 a.m. Friday on campus. The department produced a video titled “Play Like Connor Today” that served as a tribute to Connor Senn, a Buckeye men’s soccer player that died during a game in 2001.
The video shares the story of how the annual “Connor Senn Memorial Match” vs. the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer has continued to grow and set records each year for money raised for the Connor Senn Memorial Scholarship fund. In 2008, the match vs. the Crew set a new standard by raising $30,000 for the fund, upping the total for the seventh-annual exhibition to $130,000. The game pulled in $23,000 in 2007.
The video aired on OhioStateBuckeyes.com leading up the April 29 match vs. the Crew. It also was played on the video board at Ohio Stadium before the football spring game. Mark Smith, Russ Hoeflich and Rob Milan of the athletics video department and Tim Stried from athletics communications combined to produce “Play Like Connor Today,” which is one of 18 stories selected to be shown during the hour-long program at the Wexner Center.
The Connor Senn Memorial Fund was established by Dr. Lance Senn, Connor’s father and a former member of the Ohio State tennis team. Connor collapsed during Ohio State’s match at Akron Sept. 26, 2001 and died that night from a congenital heart defect. A native of Granville, Ohio, Connor was a freshman walk-on defender who had earned a starting position midway through the 2001 season. The Buckeyes went on to be selected for the NCAA tournament that season.
The legacy of Connor Senn will never be forgotten at Ohio State. A plaque honoring Connor hangs outside the Buckeyes’ locker room door and Connor’s chair hangs in the locker room, which all the players on the 2001 team signed with personal messages to Connor, who was known for his tremendous work ethic, positive attitude and selfless play.
“Connor was just a really funny guy,” David Ridenhour, a former friend and teammate of Connor’s, said after the 2008 game. “He loved to play guitar in his dorm room and loved having fun he was the greatest. It’s bittersweet that this match is being played in his memory, but it’s cool to see what this has grown to.”
“Play Like Connor Today” is the mantra of the Ohio State men’s soccer program and it has carried them to five trips to the NCAA tournament this decade and to the 2007 national championship game.
Those wishing to make a contribution to the Connor Senn Memorial Scholarship Fund can do so by sending a check to Kristyn Carman, The Ohio State University, Gift Processing, The Fawcett Center, Room 709, 2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43210 (account #410775). Please include your name and return address so you may receive documentation of your charitable contribution from Ohio State for your tax records.
About Ohio State Athletics
The Ohio State University Department of Athletics sponsors 36 fully funded varsity teams 17 for women, 16 for men and three co-educational. The department is committed to providing its more than 900 student-athletes with the finest in academic and athletics support in order to ensure a quality and life-enhancing experience. The Department of Athletics is completely self-supporting and receives no university monies, tax dollars or student fees. In Fiscal Year 2007-08, the Department of Athletics will transfer back to the University more than $25 million in assessments, including nearly $17 million in grant-in-aid costs.
