June 28, 2025
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Boys Soccer: 'Everyone aspired to be like him' Batavia, soccer communities remember Kyle Nicely

Batavia junior passed away from brain aneurysm last month

By JACOB BARTELSON

To honor his memory, the proceeds generated from the Tri-Cities Soccer Night Thursday were donated to the Nicely family. It was announced later Thursday evening the undisclosed amount was in-turn donated to the Ronald McDonald House and the Holy Cross Catholic Church of Batavia. "He was always pushing everyone to be their best," Carlson said. "Keeping everyone uplifted. Just keep making sure everyone has got a smile on their face...He just loved playing and made everyone feel the same way about that." Each Batavia player wore a black armband with a gold embroidered No. 3 – Kyle's jersey number. "Losing him is very tough for us," Carlson said through tears. "Just every moment is for him. Everything we do out there is for him just...keep playing because he can't." (Sandy Bressner)

To honor his memory, the proceeds generated from the Tri-Cities Soccer Night Thursday were donated to the Nicely family. It was announced later Thursday evening the undisclosed amount was in-turn donated to the Ronald McDonald House and the Holy Cross Catholic Church of Batavia. "He was always pushing everyone to be their best," Carlson said. "Keeping everyone uplifted. Just keep making sure everyone has got a smile on their face...He just loved playing and made everyone feel the same way about that." Each Batavia player wore a black armband with a gold embroidered No. 3 – Kyle's jersey number. "Losing him is very tough for us," Carlson said through tears. "Just every moment is for him. Everything we do out there is for him just...keep playing because he can't." (Sandy Bressner)

Mark Lillig, Ryan Kahley and Nicely began their varsity journeys together at the end of last season, getting promoted for the postseason. Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco met with Nicely prior to this season about making varsity. "[Nicely] was almost like surprised," Gianfrancesco said. "Had a big smile on his face like he didn't expect it. That was exciting to see because you knew some good things were going to be coming from that." "You could always count [on Kyle] to be there and actually win the 50-50 [balls]," Lillig said. "You could rely on him." (Sandy Bressner)

Lillig and Nicely became friends in sixth grade at Rotolo Middle School in both classes and travel soccer. "When I first met him, we were both really quiet people," Lillig said. "We usually just stuck to our close group of friends." "Coming into high school, he'd reach out to people he wouldn't normally talk to," Lillig continued. "Just [to] try and make them smile or make them laugh." (Sandy Bressner)

To Lillig, Nicely was "the type of person that everyone would want to be." "Whether you knew it or not," Lillig said. "If you got to know him, everyone aspired to be like him. It was just incredible the things he could do, the way he was. I'll always look up to it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get to that level, but I will certainly try." Nicely's significance could be felt throughout the Tri-Cities soccer community. "To see that impact with the wake, we had several teams: St. Charles East showed up, the whole team," Gianfrancesco said. "Kaneland showed up...just that really tells you what kind of type of guy he was." (Sandy Bressner)