DAVIS, Calif. -- To ask Skip Fleshman about his friendship with Bob Dougherty is to cast a wide net of memories. After all, the two former UC Davis soccer teammates go back much further than their Aggie playing days in the early 1980s. Dougherty moved to Fleshman's neighborhood in Livermore, California, when the two were only five years old. They lived across the street from each other, played all manners of youth sports together despite attending different schools, then were reunited at both Livermore High School and at UC Davis.

And yet in a half-century's worth of shared recollections, Fleshman harks back to a relatively mundane object: a backpack. 

"He always had stuff for people," said Fleshman. "In this backpack, he had anything one could want. If I needed tape for my ankle? Ask Bob. Need scissors to cut the tape? Ask Bob. Need a chew? Bob had it. He had everything in that backpack. Bob was always the guy who was prepared. He was always taking care of people. He would host dinner parties, and he would cook everything from scratch. He was a very giving person."

This one accessory, ubiquitous as it may seem on a campus full of bicycles, seems symbolic of Dougherty's most memorable quality: he was a giving, loving friend. "Everybody who knew him would say the same thing," Fleshman said. "Yes, he was a little mischievous and devious, but the guy was always there for his friends, 100 percent."

Dougherty's penchant for looking out for his friends came in handy on an evening in March of 2013, when he, Fleshman and former Aggies Olaf Elze and Pete Arellanes were set to attend a World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Costa Rica in Commerce Park, Colorado. The day began with relatively mild, even warm weather. Fleshman even remembers wearing shorts and a T-shirt when he received a text from Dougherty: bring warm clothes to the game. Sure enough, the temperature dropped and blizzard conditions rolled into the Denver area by the game's start. To this day, that game remains one of the most memorable moments in U.S. Men's National Team history, and it bears the nickname "The Snow Clasico."

When Dougherty was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer early in 2016, Fleshman and his fellow Aggies were there for their friend. While Dougherty dealt with his illness bravely, Fleshman looked to keep his friend's spirits high. They continued their enjoyment of USMNT soccer matches, including one in San Diego, where Dougherty resided. The friends played soccer in the parking lot before the game, were able to get Dougherty onto the field prior to the start, and hung out until 10 o'clock after the contest. 

"We tried to do things to keep him motivated and upbeat as possible," Fleshman recalls. "This was while he was undergoing chemotherapy. We did a couple of events like that where we were all together."

Fleshman further decided to honor Dougherty with the launch of a UC Davis men's soccer scholarship in his name. Dougherty's two sons were of elementary school age at the time. An enduring award would allow the two boys the opportunity to remember their father and his qualities. In fact, as part of receiving the Bob Dougherty Soccer Award, each honoree writes a letter to Bob's family. 

"I think an important part of this scholarship is to help recipients know the legacy and history of UC Davis soccer," said Fleshman. "We – well, Bob – would love to honor and support kids who help propagate and support a collaborative and supportive culture that is aligned with UC Davis principles."

Credit for the idea of a written letter goes partially to Elze, whose brother-in-law was killed while serving a peace-keeping mission in Africa. When a scholarship was created in that young man's memory, Elze's wife received a letter from the recipient each year. When it came time to create the Bob Dougherty Soccer Award, such a meaningful gesture was to become a key component.

Furthermore, the scholarship should go to a player who bears similar qualities to its namesake: an engaged leader, an accomplished student in the classroom, a student-athlete who attends UC Davis for all of the right reasons. Sure enough, the inaugural recipient of the Bob Dougherty Soccer Award was Marte Formico, a three-time Big West Conference All-Academic honoree originally from Saratoga, who Fleshman eventually had the pleasure of meeting.

The award, the lead gifts, the legal language and the requirements were completed just a few months before Dougherty's passing in March of 2017, meaning the former Aggie goalkeeper was able to know and appreciate that such an honor was made in his name. 

The choice to create an honor that also serves the UC Davis men's soccer program came easy to Fleshman. He, Dougherty and their teammates enjoyed a perfect era of Aggie soccer in which to nurture life-long bonds. For starters, the program was strong: UC Davis even ranked No. 1 nationally during the 1986 season and only missed the NCAA playoffs due to a heart-breaking loss at the end of the regular season. This was also the team that enjoyed an unusual opportunity to play in Europe, where they trained and competed with two teams from Germany plus another five from Spain. They were the group that began the construction of what is now Aggie Soccer Field – literally digging the dirt and helping install the irrigation system.

Equally important, this group played near the end of Will Lotter's tenure as head coach. "To a lot of people on that team, he was a second father," said Fleshman. "I wouldn't underestimate the impact that Will had on many generations. We were at the tail end, but even a decade before that, he was pretty influential on a bunch of people's lives."

Right around Christmas of 2016, Dougherty made it a point for his sons, Tyson and Grant, to meet some key people in his life. They visited Fleshman's parents, then made the drive to Davis to see Coach Lotter. "That was very, very important to Bob," said Fleshman, "for his kids to meet Will Lotter and to see where he played soccer. As much as Aggie soccer was important to all of us, it was really important to Bob. The friends he really stayed in touch with, and the friends who really supported him in the end, were his UC Davis soccer teammates."

Fleshman, a mechanical engineering grad from UC Davis, still serves as a partner for the venture capital firm AMV. Following his undergraduate years, he was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot for 15 years and flew missions during Operation Desert Storm. In fact, it was Coach Lotter, also well-known for his Peace Corps service and his pacifist political leanings, who wrote a letter of recommendation for Fleshman to enter the Air Force. "I thought, why would he do this other than he knows my character and my work ethic," Fleshman said. "Then I came to find out he was a pilot in the Navy. I had no idea."

Fleshman volunteers on boards and councils for entities ranging from the Boston Children's Hospital to the Hiller Aviation Museum in the Bay Area to – of course – his local soccer club. Yet even through that list of diverse and enriching experiences, his closest group of friends remains his Aggie soccer teammates, with whom he maintains contact through an active text message group.

"We worked hard together. We put academics first. We supported each other outside of soccer and in future years. Will Lotter drove a lot of this too. We all had so much fun together and have stayed in touch. I think the memories we all share help shape the values that we have today."

ABOUT UC DAVIS:
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.

UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.

Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.