The Empire Strykers are honoring a 12-year-old boy who died during soccer practice in San Bernardino.
Adriel Enriquez's coach said the boy seemed perfectly healthy before he died.
"Completely caught us all off guard," coach Garrett Blume said.
Enriquez's family said during practice last week, the 12-year-old said he was having trouble breathing before suddenly collapsing. He went into cardiac arrest and died.
Blume, a former professional soccer player, was one of Enriquez's trainers.
"Adriel is one of the reasons why I started coaching after playing soccer," Blume said. "Just kids like him that ... just put their head down. Work super hard, sweet, respectful and just, he's always looking out for other people as well. So, yeah, I'm going to miss him."
Blume said the 12-year-old would work on his game early every day. Enriquez's family said he had no known medical issues.
While many from the Inland Empire soccer community were left shocked by his death, one pediatrician said cardiac arrest events are not uncommon.
"This is actually one of the most common things that end up actually hitting our kids," Dr. Ilam Shapiro said. "The most important part of this is that it's extremely rare, even though we're seeing it. That doesn't mean that we cannot do something about it."
The Mayo Clinic Health System said that about 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 80,000 young athletes die of sudden cardiac death every year. Shapiro said parents sharing any family heart health history with their child's doctor can help prevent these types of events.
"This actually helps a lot, because at the moment that we hear a murmur or something is changing, that can actually prompt us to do an EKG, an ultrasound of the heart, to make sure that everything is in order, in order for them to be protected and enjoy sports."
Blume said the soccer community will be there for Enriquez's family during this difficult time.
"We're going to be there for them no matter what, and better days are going to come," Blume said.