16-year-old player dies after hitting winning shot

FENNVILLE, Mich. -- One moment: a perfect shot to end a perfect season. The star player, just 16, lifted off the floor in celebration. Teenagers triumphant, crowds cheering, the district playoffs ahead, the future open wide.

The next: Wes Leonard on the gym floor, his enlarged heart failing, his life fading just a few moments after his victory layup. Packed bleachers suddenly stunned by an event that made basketball seem a distant, unimportant memory.

A day after Leonard died from an enlarged heart, this small town near Lake Michigan remembered an "all-American kid" whose athletic heroics had been local legend since middle school, when opposing coaches sometimes asked to see his birth certificate, not believing someone so young could be so skilled.

A big tragedy in Michigan... the kid was the leading scorer for the basketball team and also the football team's quarterback, throwing seven touchdown passes in the division championship clinching game last season. Looks like he had real talent... another articles I googled said each week more than 30 young adults die in the US from sudden cardiac death. Prayers go to his family and friends.

An unexpected death. His career would really blossom.

Heard that story mentioned during the Bulls/Magic game today, terrible stuff. Condolences to his family and friends.

It's sad to hear, but he went out doing what he loves, and having an amazing moment in his life. Condolences to his family.

Things like these are just terrible. We could only hope that regular check-ups will prevent these kind of things.

That is terrible, my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Condolences to his family. Who knows how far he could've gotten in basketball.

That is just horrible. That was the moment to celebrate not grieve.

Any update on the cause of the death?

Ironically, I covered one of his football games this year. Really good athlete, it seems like enlarged heart-related deaths are happening more and more in amateur sports, which is something that obviously has to change because this happens pretty much yearly.

Was he a good quarterback?

Ironically, I covered one of his football games this year.

Not really the thread to be nitpicking, but that's not even slightly ironic.

it seems like enlarged heart-related deaths are happening more and more in amateur sports, which is something that obviously has to change because this happens pretty much yearly.

Given the number of amateur athletes, I really don't think once a year is anything to be even slightly concerned with. I don't know that it's necessarily happening more often, either; what with countless numbers of 24-hour news channels and such, an increase in coverage is a more likely occurrence.

Was he a good quarterback?

Well, at least here in Michigan, high school football is divided into four classes-- A, B, C and D. Fennville is a pretty small school, so it's either C or D, I don't remember, but that also means competition is sometimes lower. He was great, and I don't use that word often, for that level. He threw 7 TDs in one game, he didn't even play the entire time in the one I was at, he threw for 350ish yards and sat he entire fourth quarter.

He had legit DII or border-line low DI skills and size as a junior.

Ironically, I covered one of his football games this year.

Not really the thread to be nitpicking, but that's not even slightly ironic.

True, didn't really think that one through, shoulda gone with oddly.

it seems like enlarged heart-related deaths are happening more and more in amateur sports, which is something that obviously has to change because this happens pretty much yearly.

Given the number of amateur athletes, I really don't think once a year is anything to be even slightly concerned with. I don't know that it's necessarily happening more often, either; what with countless numbers of 24-hour news channels and such, an increase in coverage is a more likely occurrence.

I'm not saying one death of a student athlete yearly is the case, it's obviously more than one. What I'm saying is that with the amount of physicals and other health-related actions most student athletes have to go through, it shouldn't happen as much as it does. Enlarged hearts are something that slips through the cracks a lot. I know plenty of people I played with and against in high school who had it and still played, so I think it's something that needs to be looked at in the future, and unfortunately, this could be the kind of national story that helps push that idea.

I'm not saying one death of a student athlete yearly is the case, it's obviously more than one.

Then what exactly did 'this happens pretty much yearly' mean?

What I'm saying is that with the amount of physicals and other health-related actions most student athletes have to go through, it shouldn't happen as much as it does. Enlarged hearts are something that slips through the cracks a lot. I know plenty of people I played with and against in high school who had it and still played, so I think it's something that needs to be looked at in the future, and unfortunately, this could be the kind of national story that helps push that idea.

Is it really something that should be caught by what they go through, though? And is it worth screening everyone for what is, in reality, a very rare condition? The 7PM Project did a story on this sort of thing recently; the conclusion being that whilst you should get yourself checked if you have a family history of heart problems, it's not worth worrying about for anyone else.

It's annoying listening to you talk about your NBA-level talents on the basketball court, but to hear your drone on and on about this is worse. A kid died, that's tragic. I know irregular heart beats and enlarged hearts aren't the most common thing, so yes, family health history should have been known. However, you can Google "student athlete dies on field/court" and find plenty of examples of young athletes dieing. It's unavoidable, but at the same time more can be known about those athletes and I'm not much in the business of debating parent and coach's ability to judge the health of their kids.

It's the fact that you turn everything into one of your dumb fucking political right/wrong arguments is unnecessary. No one wants to listen to you be a grammar fairy who just has to let everyone know what you think about a dead kid. If you want to sit and debate medical issues in America's youth go right ahead, but no one cares. I know that's hard for you to comprehend, but the random times where you pop your head in and give everyone your best political commentator/radical sports mind impression comes off as annoying and pointless, definitely not productive to any sort of conversation that isn't based around people trying to show how stupid you sound.

Alright, you win. The kid's parents were failures for not realizing that their son's heart was enlarged and its totally their fault for that. I also failed to put an apostrophe in the last "it's", so I give you permission to correct that one as well. Go post a blog about this on your MySpace and spare us from your I'm-always-right analysis.

The dismal thought occurs that some cases are always going to slip through the cracks, particularly if the athletes are ignoring any warning signs or concealing them from their parents and coaches. With so much on the line, a possible pro career hanging in the balance, I'm sure there are kids who don't want to mention they felt faint after a workout or a bit dizzy after a practice because they're worried a visit to the doctor is going to put an end to all those big dreams (and yes, the big bucks too).

It would seem that thorough testing isn't foolproof, as this article mentions problems with ECGs, namely failing to identify damaged hearts or alternatively identifying healthy hearts as defective which forces healthy athletes to give up their sport. So with that in mind, I guess it comes down to encouraging the kids to be open and honest if they're experiencing any telltale signs of heart problems, being firm in not letting them play until any concerns are cleared up and making the necessary arrangements to have them checked out. Maybe there just needs to be more awareness and greater vigilance.

A kid died, that's tragic.

Did I disagree with this?

I know irregular heart beats and enlarged hearts aren't the most common thing, so yes, family health history should have been known. However, you can Google "student athlete dies on field/court" and find plenty of examples of young athletes dieing.

So? How often it happens isn't as important when attempting to deal with it as how often it happens compared to how often it doesn't. When dealing with such a large number of people, the simple fact is that some of them will die, and that number may well seem large. But if it's less than 1% of people (I've no idea of the actual number), is it really worth it?

It's the fact that you turn everything into one of your dumb fucking political right/wrong arguments is unnecessary.

Is that what I'm doing? I fail to see how heart testing is a political issue.

No one wants to listen to...what you think about a dead kid. If you want to sit and debate medical issues in America's youth go right ahead, but no one cares.

Oops. I thought this was a discussion forum, not a news site.

Alright, you win. The kid's parents were failures for not realizing that their son's heart was enlarged and its totally their fault for that.

Odd. I don't usually win with arguments that have nothing to do with what I'm actually trying to say.