By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Publisher
One good though about social media is that now, more than ever before, teenagers are socially aware of what is going on around them in their communities.
In the early morning hours on Saturday, Atlantic City police officer Joshlee Vadell — a 29-year-old father and nine-year veteran of the force — was shot while responding to a robbery call near the Caesars parking garage. Foxnews.com reported on Thursday that officer Vadell’s condition is improving, as he was able to sit up and speak after a ventilator was removed.
Upon hearing the news, the Mainland Regional and Atlantic City field hockey teams decided they needed to get involved, and invited officers from Somers Point, Linwood, Northfield, Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic City to attend the teams’ season opener in Linwood and be recognized for their efforts in keeping local communities safe. Players from both teams also collected donations from fans throughout the game, and Mainland coach Jill Hatz said students and teachers from her high school were in the process of collecting baby supplies for officer Vadell and wife Laura, who are expecting another child.

“It’s outstanding. It’s hard to keep track of all the community members and business owners who have done so much for us,” said Matt Rogers, PBA Local #24 president. “I’ve said it a couple of times already, it’s made this very difficult task for the officer, the family, and everyone else involved to get through this a little easier knowing that we have such a supportive community. A lot of our guys live around (Mainland High School) and Atlantic City High School, we have a great partnership with them.”

The Mustangs wore blue T-shirts during pregame warmups in honor of local police, and both teams wore blue ribbons in their hair to signify their unity in supporting the men and women in blue.

“We heard about it, and we were all extremely upset and we felt like we should do something to honor them and respect what happened,” said Mainland captain Nicole Pancari. “We decided as a team that we would all dress in blue during warmups to support all of the police officers because we appreciate all that they do for us. So we wore blue ribbons in our hair and dressed in blue. We wanted to play for them today.”
The officers lined up at midfield for the playing of the national anthem, then greeted each team with high-fives as the players ran out to their respective sides of the field. Pancari said having the officers in attendance added a little something extra to a season opener that featured a pair of fierce rivals.
“It was extremely motivating. It was our first game, and if that wasn’t motivation enough, it was even more motivating to be able to play for them,” Pancari said. “They really mean a lot to us, so I hope we were able to show our appreciation for them.”
Rogers said being invited to appear at the game provided a big emotional lift for local officers who are going through a lot of emotions as they await news daily on the status of officer Vadell.
“In the media these days, law enforcement officers seem to be the bad guys, so this is a nice reminder that we’re not,” Rogers said. “It’s great. They are still kids, but they will be going out into the adult world soon, and it’s great knowing they will go out into the adult world with a great mindset. They are good people, and they are helping out good people.”
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays