This football season, The Kinkaid School has found a quiet but heartfelt way to pay tribute to the lives lost at Camp Mystic last summer. On the back of each player's helmet is a green bow with a purple heart at the center, featuring the official colors of Camp Mystic. The ribbons carry the initials of the two Kinkaid students whose lives were lost, Chloe Madeline Childress and Margaret Gaffney Sheedy, in tribute. Chloe was a counselor at Camp Mystic and recent graduate of Kinkaid, and Margaret was a camper who was set to begin third grade this fall.
According to head coach Nathan Larned, the idea emerged during a meeting of Houston-area private school coaches looking for a shared tribute.
“We all talked about having a green ribbon,” he said. “If somebody wanted to honor their people in their own way, they could obviously do that, but we wanted to unify with the green ribbons.”
Helmet decals have long been used by sports teams to mark milestones or show solidarity after tragedy. This year the initiative stretches beyond The Kinkaid School. Universities like the University of Houston and A&M also added a similar green decal to their helmets as a shared symbol across Texas.
“It serves as a reminder,” Coach Larned said. “It’s on the back of your buddy’s helmet, on the back of your helmet.”
For some players, wearing the ribbons, though subtle, is a way of showing sincere support.
“They left a legacy,” senior linebacker Peter Liuzzi said. “They were taken from us too early, and I hope these decals can be a way to honor and remember them.”
Sophomore Adam Guy, who played on last year’s team, emphasizes Liuzzi’s point. “They were really a part of our community,” he said.
Coach Larned said the decals also remind the team to appreciate every moment they get to play on the field.
“I think it’s having the appreciation for the fact that you get to play the game and continue living life,” Coach Larned said. “And even in the smallest way remembering those two and anybody else involved.”
The football team plans to keep the decals on the helmets for the rest of the season and beyond, and other sports teams across Kinkaid have followed the movement: Kinkaid cheerleaders wore green ribbons, and the cross-country team has worn green pins to some meets. Players and coaches alike say that they hope that the green ribbon and purple heart will remain a lasting reminder of those lost and a symbol of support and unity that stretches across the city.
