The footballers who lost their star player

Liam Cooper

Every wintry Saturday morning, the Tokoroa Hotshots under-11 soccer team proudly don the green team strip and take to the frosty fields to play their hearts out.

But this week, one was missing. Liam Cooper, one of the youngest members of the team, was killed when Taupo man Pehi Rangi ploughed into the car in which he was a passenger in Tokoroa.

The accident, which also seriously injured Liam's father and team coach Mark Cooper and family friend Rowan Pringle, happened just hours after Liam scored the match-drawing goal in last Saturday's game.

Nikki Belfield, whose son Nathan is the team goalkeeper, said the parents and children wanted to do something to mark the all-too-short life of their teammate.

"The kids needed to do it. We needed to do it for the kids. It's going to be hard for all of them."

After a minute's silence the children, all about 9 and 10, let out a cheer for Liam and then each released a helium balloon in the team's official colour of green.

They wrote their thoughts and memories of Liam in a soccer ball-shaped notebook which would later be given to the family or placed with Liam's coffin at the funeral, said Mrs Belfield.

With the tragedy still fresh in the children's minds, the team cancelled their Hamilton league competition game this week, instead taking on their parents in a friendly match. Mrs Belfield said the game was sombre to start but the mood lifted.

While it was still an emotional time, the children were dealing well with the aftermath of the accident, she said. "They're very logical. I think parents should take a leaf out of the kids' book. If someone dies, you grieve, have a funeral and get on with life. But it's certainly not over."

Mr Cooper remains in Waikato Hospital in a critical condition, while Mr Pringle is in a stable condition.