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BEHIND THE STRIPES

Nick Colley

By Atlanta United FC

September 24^th, 2024

Along with the experience and the noise at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, there’s one tradition that comes immediately to Nick Colley’s mind when speaking about his favorite parts of an Atlanta United match.

“I like it when they hit the spike before the game,” he says. “I like that in the middle of the game it always gets really intense. And on the side of the spike, they wave the big flags. I think that’s really cool.”

So when Atlanta United surprised the 11-year-old pediatric cancer fighter and told him that he’ll be the Golden Spike hitter for the team’s match on October 5, Nick’s grinned from ear to ear.

And he immediately began practicing.

The match in October will be a full circle moment for Nick and his family. Last year, the Colley family took Nick, who’s a big soccer fan and enjoys playing at his local park, to his first Atlanta United match. Together on July 2, 2023, they watched Atlanta United defeat Philadelphia Union.

That match was one of the last memories before Nick was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia just a few weeks later. His parents, Ben and Melanie first suspected something was wrong when Nick complained of leg pain while at football camp. They also noticed when their usual gregarious, energetic, and curious son became a lot more quiet and tired. Soon, he was unable to walk and a middle-of-the-night trip to the emergency room confirmed Nick was sick.

Nick and his family have come a long way since then. Nick, who aspires to be either a professional baseball player or a sports broadcaster when he grows up, is still in recovery but is gaining strength, drinking protein shakes and working out on a stationary bike – “getting back into game form” as his dad calls it.

For his family, it’s wonderful to see Nick’s curiosity and light come back. The journey has been difficult. On good days and bad days, Nick has relied on his faith to see him through, which is how he advises other children battling cancer:

“Just believing in God and believing in yourself,” he says. “Just know that you can push through this and things will get better eventually.”

“I like going to Atlanta United games a lot. Doing this scarf has been really cool for me and my family.”

The Colley family credited the doctors and nurses at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for their help getting Nick get back to his usual energetic and healthy self. All the nurses have been amazing, and there was one in particular that Nick connected with:

“Her name is Mary Evans,” he says. “She taught me how to swallow pills. She was the nurse I had the longest. She was really nice, and she was really comforting. And I’m just thankful for that. That was really special. I got to know her and that was really cool.”

Nick had the opportunity to design this year’s Atlanta United scarf that honors pediatric cancer awareness month. His design features some of his favorite things and symbols of his recovery. During treatment, his taste buds changed. Someone who previously enjoyed sweet treats started craving more salty and savory snacks. So, the scarf features tacos, one of Nick’s favorite foods (along with burritos, hibachi and home-cooked omelets). On one side in big gold letters, he chose to add the words “be strong and courageous.”

“I really like how this turned out,” Nick says. “On the other side it’s got my favorite words, from my favorite Bible verse that I like to think of when I go through tough times.”

His design includes the MLS Cup, a tribute to Atlanta United’s championship in 2018. There are also multi-colored soccer balls, which might be an ode to Caleb Wiley, the former Atlanta United Homegrown who helped Nick design the scarf earlier this year. During the process in the Design Lab, the pair spent a good deal of time talking and connecting before grabbing markers and taking turns drawing.

“It was really fun,” Nick says. “Making it with Caleb was like a dream come true because he’s my favorite player. He gave me a lot of ideas. We did it as a team.”

Atlanta United invited Nick and his family, including Nick’s younger sisters Sarah Kate and Annie, for a sneak peek at his scarf. The club’s community relations team organized a surprise earlier in August at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground to let Nick unbox the scarf and see it in person for the first time. While Wiley was away at the Summer Olympics, the Homegrown sent a video message to add even more to the surprise:

“I met a guy who played in the Paris Olympics? That’s crazy!” Nick says, awestruck.

Supporters and fans can also purchase Nick’s scarf at the Team Store on matchdays at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including the team’s home match on October 5 during the club’s annual match to raise awareness for pediatric illness.