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JAYMES HUDDLESTON
The Ultimate Student Athlete
Ask
any friend or family member of Jaymes Huddleston, and they'll tell you he was
Superman incognito. He was the brilliant kid who didn't flaunt it. He was the
complete athlete who took winning and losing in stride. "He wasn't stressed.
He wasn't worried. He was positive. When he'd fail, he'd say 'This is how I'm
gonna fix it.' He was my hero", said his father, John.
At the age
of 17, Jaymes died suddenly on Feb. 26, 2005 from a heart arrhythmia, possibly
caused by Long QT syndrome. Checking in at 6 feet, 170 pounds, Jaymes was so
good at everything he touched.
Beginning at age 5, Jaymes played in the Palatine baseball program. He played
for the Travelers from age 9 through 14. But his life was about so much more
than just that.
As a student
at Fremd High School, Jaymes led the swim team to the 2005 conference title and
was an individual conference champion in two swimming events. He was also an
excellent golfer on the Fremd varsity team and a three-year member of the
varsity water polo team. Academically, he earned such honors as National Merit
Scholar and AP Scholar, and also received the IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award.
Two days after his death,
Jaymes was chosen as one of only 26 athlete-scholars on the IHSA All-State
Academic Team.
Besides a
full class load and three varsity sports, Jaymes volunteered as a first grade
tutor, and served as youth baseball coach, elementary school volunteer, life
guard, and scuba diver. He even helped restore antique tractors.
"When people
heard that he was No. 1 in his class at Fremd, they'd be shocked," his father
said. "He was so modest." He was accepted at MIT, Harvard, Notre Dame and the
University of Illinois. "He had a quiet confidence about him, a very modest
young man," said Fremd Principal Marina Scott. "I can't say enough about him. He
was a great influence on others."
"Jaymes was pretty much good at everything he did. We're very lucky to have had
Jaymes for the years we had him. It's a loss for the world," said his swimming
coach Paul Reeff.
"He was always smiling, never down," his father said. "Jaymes was easygoing,
confident, but completely humble. If I had to write a script for the perfect
kid, he'd be that kid." Jaymes is survived by his father, John, his mother,
Debbie, and sister, Jenelle.
In Jaymes' memory, the Huddlestons have set up the Jaymes Royal Huddleston
Sports and Scholarship Fund at Harris Bank in Palatine. Each year, athletes from
Fremd High School who are nominated to the IHSA all-academic team will receive a
scholarship. If the students make the All-Academic team, the scholarship will be
doubled.
Although
Jaymes left us much too soon, he made the most of every day and profoundly
touched the lives of those around him. The Palatine Travelers and the Palatine
Baseball Association are proud to honor and celebrate the life of Jaymes
Huddleston.
To learn more about
heart
arrhythmia and
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) you can visit:
www.SADS.org
Portions reprinted from articles in the Daily
Herald and Chicago Tribune Online Edition |
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(Click
here for info on the 11U and 12U Tourney)
Age: 13U only
Class: Travel teams
Date: May 24-27, 2007
Place: Palatine, IL
Fee: $400
Teams: 16 to 20
Minimum Games: 3
Tournament Rules: click
here
Entry Form: click
here
Map of
fields:
click here
Brackets,
schedule scores: click here
The Palatine Travelers invite you to the Jaymes Huddleston Memorial
Tournament 13U.
Games will be
at Hamilton Fields in Palatine. Hamilton is a complex of five
well-maintained lighted fields. Full concessions will be available at
Hamilton as well as restrooms. A completed
application and a check is required to hold your spot.
Each team will play three games in pool play Thursday through
Saturday. (Monday, Memorial Day, will be used as a rain date only).
Five teams will advance to the championships on Sunday. Trophies will
be awarded to 1st through 4th place teams.
Basic rules include:
54/80 fields, continuous batting order, free substitution.
For
more information contact:
Mike Wisniewski
847-991-5478
mikewiz@flash.net
Fax 601-510-0012
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What is LQTS?
Long QT
syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of the heart's electrical system.
The condition leaves you vulnerable to fast, chaotic heartbeats
that may lead to fainting — and in some cases, cardiac arrest
and possibly sudden death.
Long Q-T syndrome is an infrequent, hereditary disorder of the
heart's electrical rhythm that can occur in otherwise-healthy
people. It usually affects children or young adults. ECGs
Recommended for Young Athletes. Physicals are routinely used to
screen athletes for health problems prior to engaging in
competitive sports, but now experts are recommending that
screening go one step further. According to the March issue of
the European Heart Journal, prescribing electrocardiograms (ECG)
to young athletes could reduce the risk of sudden deaths related
to silent heart disease such as long-QT syndrome anywhere from
50-70%. European experts suggest that athletes undergo ECGs
starting between the ages of 12 to 14 and should continue the
test every two years.
LQTS is an important cause of sudden, unexpected death and
syncopal spells in children and younger adults. The exact number
of affected persons is unknown, but we estimate that LQTS is
present in 1:5,000 persons in the USA (over 50,000 people) and
may cause as many as 1,000 deaths (mostly in children and young
adults) each year. It is present in all races and ethnic groups,
but it is not certain if the frequency is the same in all races.
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Is your
child at risk?
Click here
for a few questions that can help you find out. |
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