Jay Heaps, a Major League Soccer player with the New England Revolution and former Bedford resident, was a special guest at the Bedford Athletic Club’s recent player appreciation night.

Approximately 85 boys and girls from the BAC, a new Bedford travel soccer league, enjoyed a questionand- answer session, one-oneone drills and soccer games with Heaps, who also peppered some of the young goalkeepers with some shots on net.

During the Q&A, Heaps revealed he’s dribbled a soccer ball more than 6,000 times consecutively and, he said, “it took a really long time.” The Duke University alumnus attended school and played many sports in town as a youngster, and he drew a big reaction from the crowd when he mentioned his kindergarten teacher, Sue Tyrie of Bedford Village Morning School; many of the U8 to U14 players attended the same school.

“At the end of the day, it is all about the kids and making them happy,” said Shaun Oparowski, BAC vice president. “The league couldn’t think of a better way to show our appreciation than to bring Revolution player Jay Heaps here to Bedford.”