I am deeply hurt and saddened by the tragic death of Reece Zunker and his wife, Paula. Zunker was the head coach of the Tivy Antlers boysòòò½ÊÓƵ™ soccer team, and I used to cover his club as a media member when I lived in Kerrville.
Zunker and his wife were among the scores of people who died in the massive Kerr òòò½ÊÓƵ flood that took place a few days ago. The couple had two young children, who are still among the missing at the time of this article.
According to a friend, Zunker was with his family in Hunt and was last seen alive standing atop the roof of his vacation cabin as the water continued to rise.
I came into contact with Zunker while writing for the Kerrville Daily Times from November 2022 until June 2024. He was so appreciative of the coverage I gave to his players, generous with his time, and was very helpful giving me timely information and scheduling updates. The thing I will always remember about Zunker was his passion for the sport and his passion to help mold young people.
As a well-traveled professional journalist, I have covered sports in many different communities across the country. Having moved to several states for a number of jobs in the industry, my passion for sports admittedly has fizzled from time to time. Sometimes, the business side of things wears on me and I lose sight of why I even became a sports reporter in the first place.
Whenever I observed Zunker in action as he shouted directions to his players, barked at an official, or delivered a speech to his team after a game, it served as a great reminder to me of what sports passion looks like. Coaching was more than just a job for him. Soccer was the vehicle for Zunker to touch the lives of his athletes to help make them better players and better citizens.
The time, effort, and commitment Zunker put into his craft was so evident to even a casual observer like myself. I feel thankful for the brief time I had covering Tivy soccer because it helped me remember exactly why I chose sports journalism as a career.
It was for a love of the game, a trait that Mr. Zunker had in spades. The Antlers athletic program is known for their slogan, Tivy Fight Never Dies. Though he is no longer with us on Earth, I can confidently report to you that Reece Zunkeròòò½ÊÓƵ™s Tivy fight will never die.
Robert Brewer is a sports reporter for The Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at robert.brewer@vicad.com.