On a sunny afternoon at Regina's Gocki Park, Sergio Losco coached an under-15 soccer team through a season-ending tournament, surrounded by players, parents, and a canine mascot named Benjamin, after his late son Henry Benjamin Losco. This is how Sergio and his wife, Marina Hills, are thanking a community that embraced their family after unimaginable grief: by giving back.
A Family's Tribute
Henry Losco, an 11-year-old soccer fan, chess aficionado, and trumpet player, died in December from carbon monoxide poisoning in a downtown Regina apartment building. His father was also in the apartment, unconscious when Hills arrived home and summoned paramedics with help from a neighbor. To commemorate their son, cope with their grief, and thank the community, Hills and Losco decided Sergio should volunteer to coach a recreational youth soccer team.
“Me and my wife Marina were looking for a way to give back to the community that has given us so much,” said Losco. “I found out about this league. Soccer programs can get expensive, but this is not competitive. We don’t keep score, but kids do want to win. These kids want to have fun, they needed a coach for an under-15 team, so we are here. We found a way to give back and to honour Henry.”
Coaching Philosophy
Losco, who grew up playing soccer in Italy and previously coached Henry's team in St. John's, Nfld., emphasizes freedom and happiness over rigid instruction. “I try not to give them rules or too many instructions,” he said after his green-clad team faced blue-jersey opponents. “I want them to feel free to do what makes them happy.”
Father’s Day was approaching, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup had just started across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Henry would have turned 12 and cheered for Canada. “Henry’s dream was to play goal for Canada. He wanted to play in the Olympics,” said Losco.
Community Support
The soccer league’s co-ordinator, Kate Smart, expressed awe at the family's strength. “When Sergio reached out to offer to coach, I was in disbelief of the incredible strength and generosity from a family who had gone through the worst, most devastating loss imaginable,” she said in a text message.
In addition to coaching, Sergio and Marina have honored Henry through a memorial chess tournament in St. John's, a pizza party for his former classmates, and a birthday commemoration by his old soccer team. Henry never got to meet anyone in Regina, having arrived just before his death, but his spirit lives on through the team.
