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In Memorium Shawn Haines, 1986-2009 I've been a youth soccer coach for a long time. Season after season, I  put my heart and soul into young men and women through a sport that I have loved all of my life.This investment of time and emotion brings a joyful return that is unsurpassed in its depth and will be treasured forever. Up until now, it has never inspired any sentiment much outside the realm of pure happiness. Today, however, I share with you some sad news. Shawn Haines, a young man who was a Viper for what feels like an instant of his life, succumbed to cancer and passed away yesterday, April 9, 2009. He was just twenty-two years old. Shawn waged his battle for nearly two years, and his family sought all options to cure his illness. They did not succeed yet they did all that they could. In the brief glimpses I had of Shawn during his time of suffering he appeared to fight with dignity and grace and good humor. His FaceBook notes, and his mother's ongoing CaringBridge log, show few signs of the sadness or desperation they must have felt. I admire how they both handled Shawn's final journey. Shawn was simply a really good guy. He had a ready smile and big wide eyes. He was quiet, to say the least, but he could also play soccer with passion and intensity. He was a team player who easily became an important part of a well-established team--and they embraced him right back. In Shawn, there was everything to like. I could tell that Shawn was deeply loved by his family and that he will be missed. When I saw him last he was surrounded by lifelong friends who loved him and will always love him. He was ready to be relieved of pain and he was at peace. When I think of Shawn today I am reminded of Chris, Weeksy, Tim, Travis, Tony, Trey, JT, Sean, Sam, Jordan, and all of the rest. As most of them get ready to graduate from college I miss the days when I could see them two or three days a week at practice and then watch their strong, healthy bodies perform magnificently on game day. Who would think then that any of them would ever be sick or that I would ever know one of them as he left this life? Not me, not then. Not me, not now. We must embrace the times we have together with vigor, passion, and joy. We must live audaciously in those moments. We must cherish the abundant gifts of friendship and love that we so often take for granted. Most of all, we must play on. Rest in peace, my friend. Godspeed, Shawn. Chas |
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