The Penn State men’s soccer team will host the third-annual Mack Brady Memorial Clinic in honor of an 8-year-old boy who aspired to play goalie for the Nittany Lions. The youth soccer clinic will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on January 18 at Holuba Hall.

Any children 12 and younger are invited to be a part of the free clinic, which will have a special focus on goaltending skills. Donations to the Mack Brady Scholarship Fund, benefiting a member of the Penn State men’s soccer team to ensure that Mack’s legacy and passion for soccer lives on, will be accepted at the door.

Mack had been one of the biggest fans of the Nittany Lions since the late 2000s. He died on Dec. 31, 2012, two weeks before his ninth birthday, from a blood infection.

“Mack loves soccer. It was a chance for him to be with his friends he loved the most and he loved being a keeper,” his father, Schreyer Honors College Dean Christian Brady, said. “He loved being able to play out there. He loved being able to defend for his team and stop those shots as they were coming in.”

The clinic was set up shortly after Mack’s death, with the help of coaches, players, and alumni. It was meant to coincide with his birthday on Jan. 16 and was planned to give other Nittany Lions soccer fans his age the chance to enjoy the game he loved with the team he loved.

“The event is a celebration for everyone who loves soccer and for everyone who is fortunate to have great teammates, like Mack, who loved soccer too,” said head men’s soccer coach Bob Warming. “The One Team theme of our athletic department really means that we are all in this life together, to help each other, to be there when others need us, to support each other, to work together to make things better and to have some fun while we are doing it. We are excited to work with the kids again this year and are really looking forward to the event.”

To date, more than $160,000 has been raised in Mack’s honor for his favorite soccer program. To donate to the fund, click here.