Show Of Support

By Christy Cabrera Chirinos
HurricaneSports.com

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – He prides himself on being an active, involved coach.
 
So when Alan Fread felt some nagging soreness, he figured it was the result of overexertion, maybe something caused by kicking balls too hard while working with the Hurricanes goalkeepers.
 
But after a few days, when the pain hadn’t subsided, Fread – an assistant coach with the Miami women’s soccer team – sought out guidance from the team’s athletic trainer Karl Rennalls.
 
Their conversation, Fread realized later, may have helped save his life.
 
In the weeks after he began wondering about that discomfort, Fread was diagnosed with Stage II testicular cancer. A treatment plan began almost immediately.
 
He met with doctors and specialists, had surgery and endured weeks of chemotherapy. His mother, Martha Conklin, traveled from Sarasota to South Florida to lend her support. His girlfriend, Charlotte Nordby, was at Fread’s side as much as possible. 
 
And at Miami, the Hurricanes women’s soccer program rallied to provide support, too. That support that will continue even this weekend when the Hurricanes host their ACC home opener on Sunday at 7 p.m., a match against Pittsburgh during which survivors of men’s cancers will be honored and celebrated.
 
It’s a gesture that Fread appreciates, much as he’s appreciated the hospital visits, the messages of support and encouragement and all the Hurricanes have done for him in recent months.
 
“My biggest thing is that we’re focused on our players’ development and our season. It’s our ACC home opener Sunday night,” Fread said. “But it’s important to bring awareness to these types of cancers. They affect men all over the world. … And I hope we maybe empower people to go to the doctor and let them know they should listen to their body. I had to put my pride aside and when I look back, I’m lucky I did because I had a cancer that was traveling and multiplying quickly.”
 
There’s another reason Sunday’s match feels so personal to the assistant coach.
 
“We want people to be aware, but we also want people to know they’re not alone,” Fread said. “There are plenty of people dealing with this, not just testicular cancer, but all cancers. And the big thing is we want them to know they’re not alone and they have our support.”
 
Alone was something Fread rarely felt this past summer as he went through treatment.
 
Were there moments he asked himself why at 34 he was dealing with cancer? Or whether his treatment would be effective? Of course.
 
But, in the moments when he’d wonder, Fread said he’d try to focus on the positives, with help, in part from his family and friends, including the other members of the soccer coaching staff.
 
“We all went and visited him during the weeks when he was in the hospital, to try and keep him company and fill the time,” said head coach Sarah Barnes, who worked with Fread at George Washington before both came to Miami. “Karl was great about going to appointments and making sure that he was prepared for treatment. And when Alan returned, [assistant strength and conditioning coach] Trey [Watson] helped him start doing workouts again to improve his strength and prepare for the physical demands of the preseason. As a staff, we were committed to checking in with Alan and did whatever was necessary to ensure he had nothing to worry about at work until he had completed treatment.”
 
Added assistant coach Jeremy Williams, “That’s a pretty life-changing event, so when he was getting ready to go through the bulk of the chemotherapy, we wanted to make sure he had what he wanted from that standpoint. … We all tried, at least one of us, to be there for a portion of the day to talk to him and help him take his mind off things, so he wouldn’t be by himself. It’s never going to be easy, but we wanted to make it easier for him.”
 
Now six months removed from the start of the journey, the diagnosis and with his nine weeks of chemotherapy treatment behind him, Fread is in remission. There are monthly check-ins with his doctors to make sure his cancer has not returned and that his body is continuing to heal. 
 
He’s back on the field with the Hurricanes, his fellow coaches and players welcoming him back to campus before the season began.
 
And Fread, understandably, is happy to be there – with a new perspective to boot.
 
“You really don’t sweat the small stuff anymore. You get over it and move on because life is short,” he said. “You’ve got to enjoy the moments, take a deep breath and enjoy what life brings you, good or bad.”