Sean Karl, former Little Mo champion, passes away from cancer. Sean was a sophomore on Univ. of Tennessee tennis team.
Sean Karl – video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cNxD2HSS0E
With great sadness, the Tennessee athletic department announces the passing of sophomore men’s tennis player Sean Karl.
Sean died Sunday in Knoxville after a two-year battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare type of tissue and bone cancer that predominately attacks adolescents and young adults.
“We all loved Sean,” Tennessee head coach Sam Winterbotham said. “He impacted us all in such an amazing way. His outlook on life and his infectious positivity made people around him better. He is without doubt the toughest person I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.
“We are all hurting right now, but we are all left with the knowledge that Sean helped us become better people. We miss him.”
Sean was an absolute competitor, from the tennis courts where he out-willed and outworked any opponent he faced to his courageous fight against the disease that ended his life at age 20.
He was our teammate. He was our friend. He was a daily inspiration in how he lived his life, how he loved others and how he faced adversity.
He was and will always be a Tennessee Volunteer.
“Our hearts are heavy today with the news of Sean Karl’s passing,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart. “Our entire department has Sean’s family, friends and teammates in our thoughts and prayers as we remember the lives he has touched in such a positive manner.”
In October 2012, a month before his national signing day, Sean was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing back pain at a tennis tournament. The diagnosis spawned an immediate outpouring of support from the tennis community in Tennessee, the United States and far beyond.
At junior tournaments around the South, players would tie up their shoes with “Pray for Sean” laces. On the college courts, the Vols wrote Sean’s name on their shoes. Even 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer filmed a get-well video. Rafael Nadal sent Sean a signed racquet.
Long before he was ever diagnosed, Sean was known across the country as a great tennis player. One of the best.
Sean could also more than hold his own in hockey, but it was tennis where he made his name. He won three consecutive Tennessee Class AAA state singles titles for Ravenwood High School in Brentwood. He was ranked No. 1 in the country at age 16 and was the sixth-ranked player in his entire national signing class.
On the court, Sean was a big-swinging, smart baseliner with a renowned fighter’s spirit, an attitude that served him well when he stared down his battle against cancer.
Although his situation had changed radically, his plans to wear the Orange and White and play college tennis had not.
Sean signed with Tennessee on November 15, 2012, at a ceremony at Ravenwood high school to a standing ovation. After months of radiation, chemotherapy and prayers, Sean was cleared to play tennis and join the team in Knoxville before the 2013-14 season.
His body had not rebounded entirely to where it was before, but his progress back to playing shape was remarkable and his fight was already back in full. Sean never let his condition be an excuse for not competing to the best of his abilities.
Forget redshirting. He was ready to play.
During the 2013 fall tournament season, Sean logged five victories. His first came in his debut at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships, incredibly a mere two months after being cleared to return full-time to tennis. The next week, he logged two victories at the SEC Fall Classic in front of family and friends in Nashville.
His final tournament came in Knoxville on his home courts at the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships, where he won a pair of matches to reach the round of 16.
But in November 2013, the cancer had returned. Sean’s second battle was a more private one, a journey shared mostly by his family, teammates and coaches.
Sean never wanted others to feel sorry for him, to be defined as “the tennis player with cancer.”
He was Sean Karl. Living his life with the hand he was dealt.
Sometimes, it was easy to forget Sean was even sick at all. That is a powerful statement to the person Sean was. He was always cracking jokes with his dry wit. His charismatic personality always made everyone around him feel welcomed and connected.
Though he could not take the court for competition, there was never a doubt he was part of his team. On weeks when he was not undergoing treatment, he still participated in team practices.
He was always there to support in whatever way he could. After a treatment, he traveled to cheer the Vols past Duke 4-2 and into the round of 16 at the 2014 NCAA Championships. He was one of the many Vols who traveled down to Georgia to root on Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese to the NCAA doubles title.
Sean continued to be with his team in the 2014 fall season, taking classes and living with his teammates just a short walk from the courts. Some days, he could be seen feeding shots out of the ball hopper, doing what he could to make his team, his brothers in tennis, better.
We consider ourselves beyond proud – and extraordinarily lucky — to have known Sean Karl, to have walked this road with him and his family the last two years. Sean will be a part of our Tennessee Family forever.