Too young

I received some awful news last night. While putting Rylan to bed last my phone rang and someone left a message. Once I was finished putting Rylan down I looked at my phone to see that one of my former divers had called me and I quickly checked my messages wondering why she would be calling me on a Saturday night. She had left me a message to let me know that another one of my former divers, Jake Rachford, died in a house fire early that morning. I quickly called her back and got on the computer to find an article on Ann Arbor.com that had some information. He was only 20 years old and the second diver I had coached to pass away in the past 6 months.

I know my divers aren't my children, but spending so much time with them, watching them grow, and trying to keep them on their path, I really grow quite a bond with some of them. And Jake was no exception. To hear of his passing hit me hard and is continuing to even more today. And for as awful and sad as I feel I can't even begin to imagine how his parents are feeling and what they are going through right now.

I feel so fortunate to have known and coached Jake. Even though he came to me as an awkward freshman with no diving experience, he was always sure of himself. He didn't care that he had never dived, didn't know anyone on the team, he wanted to try diving as something new to tackle. He spent four years getting better and eventually becoming a state meet qualifier his senior year. And although there were lots of changes in him on the outside, he was still the same self-assured, confident kid on the inside. Jake always knew who he was, and I truly admired that in him. Most of us take years to figure out who we really are and he already knew by the time he was 14. I told his parents at our banquet his senior year that I hoped my boys would be as sure of themselves as he was.

I will miss Jake and likely never forget him. My heart is with his family.
Rest in Peace Jake Rachford...