By: Amberly Dressler, From XKSoccer San Diego
Hawver and his former CSC GU-13 Spirit Red team. A concerned parent opened a can of worms when he stepped in as a ref last high school season. The scheduled ref didn’t show up, so the parent suited up to mediate the match. The substitute ref felt that the opposing team, Howie Hawver's Patrick Henry HS squad, suffered an unfair disadvantage. Hawver, who was recently diagnosed with ALS (popularly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), can’t carry his voice as far as he used to. Part of ALS is that the breathing capacity reduces, so speaking becomes difficult. Hawver couldn’t yell out instructions to his team or objections to the ref as effectively as the other coach. And what would soccer be without the commotion?Hawver also coaches competitive club soccer (
San Diego Spirit), so discussions with Cal South began (Hawver didn’t even know they were happening) to approve an amplification device that people living with ALS often use. Focus on ALS describes the tool as, “a personal amplifier that can be used to increase vocal loudness in soft-spoken people. The amplifier also decreases voice fatigue.”It’s basically a black box with a headset-type microphone. Cal South jumped all over the opportunity to help out Hawver and future coaches with similar disabilities. The box does not give Hawver an advantage, as the box doesn’t send out amplification louder than what Hawver could normally project his voice prior to ALS. ALS also puts physical limitations on those with the disease. Hawver feels his communication skills have improved because he has to describe to players what they need to do rather than just show them. Hawver, admittedly, is more of an olders coach now, as the older players can relate to words rather than visuals.
