PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — PSL Hurricanes soccer club members held a vigil Tuesday night in honor of their 17-year-old teammate and youth coach, Nick Alincy, who drowned in Martin County.
His body was found Tuesday after swimming in the ocean off Jensen Beach on Monday morning.
"It feels surreal, it's like I saw him Sunday and I didn't believe it at first, it's just crazy," teammate Joshua Elwood said. "People here, people that surround us, they care for Nick, they love Nick."
The vigil took place at Swan Park in Port St Lucie on the same fields where Alincy played soccer since he was a child. He also coached youth teams.
Alincy's mother was in attendance and laid a flower, heartbroken, on the field, surrounded by hundreds of friends, teammates and coaches who knew her son like he was family.
"Playing here today just kind of made me feel at home," Elwood said. "Itt made him feel at home as well."
Amid tears and sniffling, music from a saxophone comforted those in attendance, who placed flowers on the field.
"If you can find yourself like Nick, don't wait on it," Tyler Swanson, 19, said. "Get that person in your life. It'll make an impact."
Swanson said he played soccer with Alincy for nearly 10 years and drove in from college in central Florida after hearing the news.
"It does feel surreal, like, especially tonight, it's going to be a sad night because all the people that came to the show, like, it shows he was that kind of friend," Swanson said. "He had that kind of impact on everyone."
Alincy's No. 5 jerseys were on display under lights that were shining bright in his honor.
"When he walked into a room or on the field it made everyone's day even better," 11-year-old Kaylle Pielli, who has known Alincy since she was 3, said. "He was like a really big brother. He's my second big brother."
Friends and teammates said Alincy taught them to be resilient and taught them to work hard.
"Nick always looked on the bright side of everything, everything. We lost a game. Next one. Next one. He missed a goal. Next one. Next one. And he got injured. We're good. Get back on the field. Start the next day."
Toward the end of the vigil, the field lights turned off, and candles were in the form of Alincy's No. 5 as loved ones reflected on the final lesson from their friend.
"With this happening, I feel like you should never take life for granted," Elwood said. "You never know when someone will be taken from you or whenever it's your time."
The PSL Hurricanes have a game at Swan Park on Sunday and his teammates said they will be playing in his honor. They will be wearing green armbands, which was his favorite color, according to his teammates.