by Chris Brown
New England Revolution

Emotional roller coaster. These are the three words that come to mind when I
think about the past two weeks of my life. First, I found out that the Wizards
wanted to trade me to the New England Revolution. I must say I had mixed
emotions about this happening. My wife and I had made so many good friends in
Kansas City and we were beginning to feel like it was "home." At the same time,
it would be a great opportunity to make a fresh start with a new team in a
wonderful city. That was Wednesday, August 20th.

The next few days flew by with a game in Los Angeles and a coast-to-coast flight
to my new home at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution players were unbelievably
nice and so welcoming, as were the coaches. That made the transition much
easier. The day before we played the Metrostars in the U.S. Open Cup, I turned
on my cell phone to find 10 messages on my voicemail. Even before I listened to
the messages I knew what happened. The man who made the biggest impact on my
development as a soccer player, the man I admired greatly, had passed away due
to cancer. Clive Charles not only taught me how to play, but also how to be a
good human being. I cried that night. That was Tuesday, August 26th.

How do you sleep the night a man of such importance passes away and leaves for a
better place? The answer is, you can’t. So many things ran through my mind
that night. I thought of things like all the opportunities Clive had given me,
the lessons he taught me, and all the good times we had together. I remembered
when I was on the Under 17 F.C. Portland soccer team and we were in California
for a tournament. A couple of teammates and I snuck into Clive’s hotel room
and just demolished the place. I’m talking coffee beans all over the floor,
the bed turned upside down, underwear on the lampshades, and the desk in the
shower. A bit over the top, now that I look back on it! We finally beat him at
his own game. You see, Clive was quite a prankster and he was always playing
jokes, having a good time. One of my favorite jokes Clive use to play at
University of Portland was when he would challenge someone to a race after
practice, "I’ll race you 40 yards for 5 bucks," he would say. An unsuspecting
freshman would step up and think that there was no way a 45 year old was going
to beat him in a sprint. “On your marks, get set, go!” The freshman would
take off on a dead sprint as Clive slowly and gingerly strode the 40 yards.
"Give me my 5 bucks!" the freshman would demand. Clive would just look at him
and laugh. "I said I would race you. I never said I would win!"

Clive was an amazing person. He knew when to coach, when to joke around with
you, when to listen, how to give advice, how to get the most out of you, and
most importantly how to love. Clive truly cared and loved each one of his
players. Whether you were part of the starting eleven, a substitute, a member of
UP's men's or women's team, a 4.0 student or a 2.0 student, he cared about you
and your life. Clive had an impact on my most memorable and prized
accomplishments. He coached our Under 18 F.C. Portland National Club
Championship team; he led our University of Portland team to the Final Four; he
helped me get drafted by the Wizards; and most importantly, he played a major
role in my marriage to Pardis. I am one blessed and happily married man because
of Clive. I am forever in debt to him.

Fast forward a couple days to my home debut with the New England Revolution. In
a game that we needed to win, I was fortunate enough to score three goals (due
to great service from my teammates), and help the team get three points. That
was Saturday, August 30th.

Exactly one week from the passing of Clive Charles, I earned “Player of the
Week” honors. That was Tuesday, September 2nd. Did Clive play a role in my hat
trick and have a part in my “Player of the Week” honors? Maybe. Was he
smiling down on me from up above and loving every minute of it? Without a doubt.

Written by Chris Brown 9-3-03