Nicholas Rados, a multi-sport athlete and 2024 graduate of Washington-Liberty High School, is being remembered by coaches and teammates for his upbeat personality and commitment to constant improvement.
Rados, 19, died in a fatal crash the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12 along the 2200 block of N. Harrison Street in Arlington’s Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood. A car being driven northbound by an 18-year-old Arlington resident, in which Rados was a passenger, struck several parked vehicles and overturned, according to Arlington County police.
At the time of his death, Rados was attending the University of Miami, majoring in environmental studies. He was back visiting Arlington during fall recess at the university, which shifted to remote classes earlier in the week due to Hurricane Milton.
Rados played lacrosse, golf and basketball during his years at Washington-Liberty.
“Nick was a great teammate, a positive force in the locker room. He took his role in stride and he always wanted to be a contributing member of the team,” Washington-Liberty head boys lacrosse coach Clay Batley said. “Nick would crack jokes keeping things light.”
Batley got to know Rados, a midfielder, better than some players because he coached him privately a bit.
“He never complained, was mature enough to speak his mind and was always looking for ways to improve,” Batley said.
Evan Rodger also coached Rados in lacrosse at W-L.
“Nick always was striving to do what is best, not only for himself, but more so for his teammates. A true General,” he said.
Rodger noted that Rados worked with youth players for the Arlington Youth Lacrosse Club on weekends.
“His effervescent personality was infectious among his peers and coaches alike,” Rodger said. “He will be deeply missed.”
Batley said the team will honor Rados in some manner during the lacrosse season in the spring.
Michael Wilkis was Rados’ golf coach at Washington-Liberty, and also had fond recollections.
“Nick was an important player for us. He did a lot of volunteer things and was a great teammate, someone you could call on at the last minute and count on to do things,” Wilkis said.
Finn Watson, a standout golfer on the W-L team, was friends with Rados. He said he is struggling with the loss.
“He was a super-nice guy, and he would give me rides home from practice all the time,” Watson said.
When Rados played in the basketball program for a number of years at Washington-Liberty, head coach Bobby Dobson said he made an impact.
“He continued to be around the team and the players even when he wasn’t with us anymore,” Dobson said. “The players liked him. Nick was polite and very respectful.”
Dobson said Rados was good friends with the late Braylon Meade, a former player for the Washington-Liberty boys hoops team who was killed by a drunk driver in an early morning crash on Nov. 11, 2022. Rados later asked the W-L lacrosse coaches if he could wear the same uniform number (22) that Meade wore for the basketball team at the school. The request was granted.
“Maybe the school should permanently retire that number” to honor both, Batley said.
The Rados family has set up a memorial fund through the Arlington Community Foundation.
The fund “will be used to support a variety of charitable causes and programs that honor and carry forward Nick’s passions and interests,” the foundation said.
