Andy Moore, R.I.P.

   I didn't even know Andy all that well, we played on two or three of the same ball hockey teams the past couple of years, and that's about it, didn't really know him socially.
   He did seem like a nice guy, though, and that's what I appreciated about him.
   This past Monday evening, Andy played with a brand new team, the Wolfpack, for the first time. He joined me on that team and I was happy to have him as my defence partner that night. He played quite well, in spite of not having played since the summer. After the game, though, he complained of being tired and did not look well. On the way home to St. Thomas he suffered a heart attack and passed away.
   This morning, when I saw his name in the obits, I was shocked, to put it mildly. He had been such a vital player on Monday, taking the young guys aside and giving instruction, cheering them on, hooting and hollering as the play progressed. All of this with not a negative word to be heard.

One of the sports Andy loved.

   I regret that when I saw him not feeling well I didn't do more. I imagine it's possible that if I'd sat down with him and investigated even further then things might have turned out differently, that the heart attack might have happened at the arena and help could have been accessed. Of course, this might not have mattered anyway, it could have just been Andy's time and nothing else to be done about it. The next time I find myself in that same situation, though, I will remember Andy and do things differently.
   About a year ago I wrote a blog called "The Aging Athlete". In it I discussed some of the trials and tribulations of being an older person engaging in sports, particularly against younger people. At one point I even mention heart attacks (as in "make sure you're not about to have one"). Now this has hit home.
   Andy was one of the older guys. He was 47 and most of the guys he was playing with and against were probably in their twenties or early thirties. Although there may have been no correlation I'm sure some people will say he shouldn't have been playing at that age, or that maybe at least he shouldn't have been playing against the kids.
   I'm not sure where I stand on this. I myself am ten years older than Andy and I still play. Not always well, but I still play. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I'm capable of and when  to slow it down a notch. I have an ECG every year. My BP's been fine for quite awhile and the bloodwork is okay. My doctor's never said to slow it down at all. As long as I'm not embarrassing myself on a regular basis and as long as the pain's not too bad, then who knows? And I suppose there's a danger as well in not getting your blood racing occasionally.
   After all is said and done, Andy will continue to look over my shoulder for some time now, I suspect. It will be hard not to think about him the next time we all step on the floor. It will also be hard to press yourself to the limit and not pause and assess the risk. I think...
   At the end of it all, Andy was a good guy. He had a wife, Michelle, and a couple of kids, Brandon and Alex. He was busy as a coach, he was involved with the Air Cadets of St. Thomas, and he was a Mason. I knew him only from ball hockey and thought he was a good man to have on your team, he was passionate about the game and had a positive attitude at the same time. A bit of a legacy I wouldn't mind sharing some day.