DeCourval Soccer Complex

Courtesy Huron Daily Tribune

BAD AXE — It’s never easy to say goodbye. 

But for the Bad Axe soccer community, it was time. 

What started as a youth soccer league back in 1988, came to a bittersweet conclusion Thursday afternoon, during a ceremony that officially named the high school’s soccer field after the only soccer coach the program had ever known.

The DeCourval Soccer Complex, named after the late soccer coach Dave DeCourval, was unveiled amidst the eyes of hundreds of supporters — including family, friends, players and school officials — at a ceremony prior to the Hatchets' contest vs. visiting Memphis. 

“Today, we will be honoring a man who basically brought the game of soccer to Bad Axe,” said Bad Axe Athletic Director Mike Bogan to the many in attendance. 

“As a result, he influenced hundreds of student-athlete’s lives here in the community as a wonderful role model. Today, we honor former soccer coach Dave DeCourval at the newly named DeCourval Soccer Complex.”

The legacy of the late Dave DeCourval was commemorated with the unveiling of a monument at the field’s entrance, which highlights the contributions of a man who gave so much to the program. 

Neatly etched into the back of the memorial are the district title teams of 1997, 2001 and 2007 for the boys program, and 2009, 2013 and 2014 for the girls program. But that only tells a portion of the story. 

“He was the Bad Axe High School boys and girls soccer coach for 19 years and had a special way of holding his players responsible for their actions and being firm, while also being light-hearted, funny, and a great role model,” the monument recaps. 

Amongst the speakers at the event were Bogan, DeCourval’s wife Anita DeCourval, and current Bad Axe soccer coach Adam Sutherland. 

“He would probably be kind of embarrassed, but he liked to do things in a big way, so I think he would think it was just right,” said Anita DeCourval afterward. 

“I look out and I see people from the different years, and I see the parents from the different years, and it’s just very heartwarming and it’s very emotional.”

During her tribute, Anita DeCourval spoke to the crowd how her husband would always lecture his players on dealing with the “Uncontrollables”…a bad call, the weather…and said he would always remind them to simply “Shake it off.”

Dave DeCourval was big on letting the things that couldn’t be controlled slide and honing in on the task at hand. 

In the wake of her husband’s death, an emotional Anita DeCourval spoke of taking that advice strictly to heart.

“I hope you can remember Dave saying, ‘Shake it off,’ and go on focusing on what you can control — yourself. My wish for you is that you live and enjoy each moment of your life.”

DeCourval, the husband of Anita and father of Heather, Matt and Greg, was a former Michigan State Trooper, serving 25 years in the South Haven, Caro and Bad Axe posts, before retiring as a sergeant in 2003.

Despite the lengthy career in law enforcement, he was perhaps more well-known in the community as “Coach DeCourval”.

Amongst his many accomplishments, DeCourval compiled over 250 wins for the boys program.

In 1997, he led the Hatchets to a 19-2-1 overall mark while winning both league and district titles. The program repeated that feat in 2007, going 19-3-1 while again winning league and districts. Another district title was won in 2001.

In his final season coaching the girls team in 2013, DeCourval guided the Hatchets to a district championship. 

The title was the first for the program in five years, and his players helped Sutherland realize his first district title in 2014.

“For 19 years, it was a celebrated tradition of hard work, fun and winning,” Sutherland — a former player of DeCourval — said. “I speak on behalf of the coaching staff and the players — we want to let you guys know that we are keeping this tradition going strong.”

And in fitting fashion, Anita DeCourval added: “It’s time for it to be Adam’s team and not Dave’s team. It’s time for that evolution.”