Soccer Team Mourns Death of 9-Year-Old Member Karly Little

Parents huddled together on the sidelines of the soccer field at Lincoln-Way Central High School on Monday while members of the Legacy Girls Traveling Soccer Team practiced.

It wasn't the usual friendly routine. Instead, the sidelines were somber while parents commented on the tragedy of a life taken too soon.

Nine-year-old Karly Little, of New Lenox, died in a two-car collision Saturday at Route 50 and Kankakee County 6000 N. Road. Teammates from the Legacy team dedicated Monday's practice as a memorial to her.

Little, a fourth-grader at Nelson Ridge School, was a passenger in the car driven by her father, Ken Little, 53. Karly was pronounced dead at Provena St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee. Her father and sister, 11-year-old Katie, were taken to Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee. Riverside Medical Center reported that Ken's condition has been updated to serious.

Fran Bialobrzeski, Karly's aunt, said Ken underwent surgery to remove his spleen and is recovering from three broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Katie suffered bruises, a bump on the head and a black eye. She was released from the hospital today, according to a Riverside Medical Center spokesperson.

"She was my best friend. It's hard to lose your friend."

Tinley Park's Rob Jawor, whose daughter Jordyn was a teammate of Karly's, said the New Lenox child as sweet.

"My daughter told me last night just how sweet Karly was from the first time they met," Jawor said. "Karly didn't know her at all, didn't know she would be on the same team and said, 'Well, nice to meet you. Welcome to Legacy. I hope you like it here.'" 

Jennifer Dunbar, of New Lenox, said she helped her daughter, 10-year-old Alison, cope with the loss by tying ribbons in Karly's honor around trees in the neighborhood. One was blue, Karly's favorite color, and another was pink for Katie Little.

"My daughter asked a lot of questions," Dunbar said. "Tying the ribbons was something tangible."

A major soccer tournament scheduled for Oct. 20, in Brookfield, WI, is planned to honor Karly as well, Michelle Jawor said. The teammates on six of the Legacy teams have agreed to wear arm bands in Karly's honor.

During the last soccer game, Rob Jawor reflected on the positive relationship Ken Little had with his daughter.

"Ken and I sat next to each other and spent the whole game telling Karly where to position herself and she scored two goals. We laughed and high-fived each other then joked how smart she made us seem," he said. "She was really coming into her own as a player. Her sister is a really good player as well.

"It's sad that we'll never hear his incredibly loud voice cheering, 'Yeah Karly, way to go!' again."

For teammate Paige Spriesch, Frankfort, the loss goes deeper.

"She was my best friend. It's hard to lose your friend."

Spriesch has a plan though to help her remember Karly. Using the recently shot team photo, "I'm going to hang it on the wall and always look at her and pray for her."

The accident is still under investigation. Read more about the incident here. 

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