SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KCAL/KCBS) – A Southern California community is mourning the sudden loss of a 12-year-old soccer player who collapsed during practice.
While the tragedy left his coaches and teammates shocked, doctors said it is a critical reminder for parents of young athletes.
Adriel Enriquez seemed perfectly healthy.
“Completely caught us all off guard,” soccer coach Garrett Blume said.
Adriel’s family said the 12-year-old was having trouble breathing during soccer practice just a week ago. He suddenly collapsed, went into cardiac arrest and died.
Blume, a former professional soccer coach, was one of Adriel’s trainers.
“Adriel is one of the reasons why I started coaching after playing soccer,” Blume said. “Just kids like him that, ‘Yes sir,’ just put their head down, work super hard, sweet, respectful and just he’s always looking out for other people as well. So, yeah, I’m going to miss him.”
Blume said the 12-year-old would work on his game nearly every day.
Adriel’s family said he had no known medical issues.
While many from the Inland Empire soccer community are left shocked by his passing, one pediatrician said a cardiac arrest event like this is not uncommon.
“This actually is one of the most common things that end up actually hitting our kids, but the most important part of this is that it’s extremely rare, even though that we’re seeing it. That doesn’t mean that we cannot do something about it,” Dr. Ilam Shapiro said.
The Mayo Clinic reports that about one in 50,000 to one in 80,000 young athletes die of sudden cardiac death each year.
Shapiro said parents sharing any family heart health history with their child’s doctor can help prevent these types of events.
“This actually helps a lot because at the moment that we hear a murmur or something is changing, that can actually prompt us to an EKG, an ultrasound of the heart to make sure that everything is in order for them to be protected and enjoy sports,” Shapiro said.
As the Inland Empire soccer community comes together to remember the life of a bright young man and his passion for soccer, it’s that love of the game that turns into support for Adriel’s family in this difficult time.
“We’re going to be there for them no matter what and better days are going to come,” Blume said.
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