Each one of Marco Carducci’s saves will mean a little bit more this season.
The Cavalry FC goalkeeper revealed this week that throughout the 2024 Canadian Premier League season he’ll be raising money for Oneball, a Calgary-area charitable organization that provides financial support to men diagnosed with testicular cancer, as well as raising awareness and eroding the stigma around the disease.
In Carducci’s ‘Saving Oneball at a Time’ fundraiser, he’s inviting fans from across Canada — but especially Cavalry supporters — to pledge money for every save he or another Cavalry goalkeeper makes this year. Anyone can make a pledge, even if it’s just one dollar per save, or they can donate a flat amount. Carducci’s stated goal is to raise $15,000 over the course of 2024.
Obviously, the cause is particularly close to Carducci’s heart. It’s a little over two years ago now that he himself was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which caused him to miss the first three games of the 2022 CPL campaign. Ever since then, he’s committed to speaking up and advocating for those facing testicular cancer, as well as the broader social stigma around men’s physical and mental health.
Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 35, but it has a high survival rate if caught and treated early. Therein lies the issue, though, according to Carducci, who explained that hesitation to have those conversations can be dangerous.
“At the time as a 25-year-old, as an athlete, being a young man in this space, vulnerability and feeling like something can stop you physically is hard to talk about,” Carducci recalled from when he was diagnosed.
“Talking about our physical and mental health issues, talking about how you feel; we operate — and I say we as in, professional soccer players in the Canadian Premier League and around the world — we operate in a world where there’s very little space to express vulnerability or show weakness, and that can have detrimental effects. Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I’d just shrugged it off and said it’s nothing, I don’t need to worry about it. Where could I be now, what would my treatment have looked like, where would my career be now if I didn’t approach it with a vulnerable mindset.”
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So, this year, Carducci is calling out for fans to join him in his mission to open up the conversation and ultimately help save lives — one ball at a time, indeed.
“The Oneball team and that whole organization, I’ve gotten to know them over the last couple of years and just seeing firsthand the really awesome work that they’re doing in that community, for me this was a cool initiative,” Carducci added.
“They’re a small charity but they do really, really big and impactful work, and I’ve seen that firsthand. For me, it’s just a way to give back but also continue telling my story, and making sure [we have] that vulnerability and that ability to talk about health issues, especially for young men. I look across this league, testicular cancer affects us in that age range, and I was one of them. It’s very important to me, and being an advocate is something that means a lot to me too.”
Carducci’s 73 saves in 2023 were joint-fourth-most in the CPL and a career high for him, but of course as a goalkeeper he’s not necessarily hoping to have a busier year — naturally, it’d be better for Cavalry to be allowing fewer shots. Still, there’s no doubt that each time he’s called upon, it’ll be a little bit more impactful every time he keeps the ball out of his net.
Cavalry FC and Carducci kick off their 2024 CPL campaign this Saturday, April 13, when they play Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field in a rematch of the 2023 Final.
Those interested can learn more about how to pledge to Carducci’s save-a-thon at this link: https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/savingoneballatatime/Campaign/Details
For more information about Oneball, or resources on testicular cancer, head to oneball.ca.