Most fans of Major League Soccer – and perhaps even a fair few fans of the Columbus Crew – never grew familiar with the play or personality of promising midfielder Kirk Urso, a 2012 first-round Supplemental Draft choice who made the team out of preseason.
That's because Urso's professional soccer career was only just getting started – 453 minutes in six appearances to begin his rookie season – when he tragically passed away from an undetected congenital heart defect at the age of 22.
To help those not fortunate enough to know Urso better understand the massive impact he made on them during his short time with the Crew, his teammates from that 2012 season have shared some of their best Urso stories with Columbus-based author Steve Sirk for his upcoming book, Kirk Urso: Forever Massive, which honors the life or Urso through those he affected.
An excerpt from the Kirk Urso: Forever Massive back cover:
"In Kirk Urso: Forever Massive, Steve Sirk collects stories and insights from the players, coaches, and staff of the 2012 Columbus Crew, who knew Kirk as a leader, listener, friend, straight-faced humorist, and a constant source of positive inspiration. These stories, presented in the players’ own words, reveal Urso as the Crew knew him. (Hint: Most of the interviews featured smiles and laughter.)
"The book also looks at Kirk’s legacy and impact going forward, including how congenital heart defect research – like the kind supported by the Kirk Urso Memorial Fund – has changed the life of one Ohio family. You will meet the little “heart kid” with whom Kirk formed a poignantly serendipitous friendship."
To order your copy of Kirk Urso: Forever Massive, head over to the order page on the Crew's website now.
