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Maddie Potts Chariho High soccer captain dies of brain aneurysm taking penalty kick

Christopher Koulouris: About author bio at bottom of article.
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Maddie Potts
Pictured, Rhode Island teen, Maddie Potts who died while playing soccer for her school team, Chariho High School.
Maddie Potts
Pictured, Rhode Island teen, Maddie Potts who died of a brain aneurysm while playing soccer for her school team, Chariho High School.

Maddie Potts Chariho High soccer captain dies of brain aneurysm taking penalty kick. Were there any warning signs? 

Maddie Potts a popular Chariho High School senior has died after collapsing while taking a penalty kick during a soccer game over the weekend.

At the time, Potts, the team’s soccer captain had been on the filed in Rhode Island on Saturday when she suffered a brain aneurysm. Despite being rushed to hospital, Maddie was declared dead just hours later.

Along with being the team’s captain, Potts was also a member of the school’s lacrosse team.

Of note, Maddie’s father, Dan Potts, is a science teacher at Chariho Middle School.

Chariho Regional School District Superintendent Barry Ricci said her death was unrelated to the game.

‘She was kicking a penalty kick, and she just collapsed,’ he told the Westerly Sun. 

‘Everything that could be done for her on the field was done. There was a parent who was a doctor who resuscitated her.’

Ricci said he left the hospital at about 11.30pm on Saturday believing Potts would recover and was shocked to learn that she had died overnight.  

‘(She) represented the very best of our school as an artist, an athlete, a classmate, a teammate and a friend,’ he said.

Offered, Brittany Godbout, head coach of the girls’ soccer team, ‘She was the heart of both teams, always enthusiastic, a great leader, had an amazing work ethic and always was a phenomenal teammate,’

Adding, ‘All of the girls, from seniors to freshmen, looked up to her and idolized her. She will be impossible to replace, but we will utilize the energy and spirit and work ethic that she brought every day to practice and games throughout the rest of our season.’

Reiterated, Mike Shiels, Chariho’s athletic director, ‘In the 23 years that I have been involved in Chariho High School sports, Maddie Potts was the best of the best and would be my all-time favorite student athlete. She was the toughest female athlete that I had ever seen play on the field,’

Adding, ‘She had an enormous, positive and encouraging personality that made her such a great role model for the younger players. She always helped the lesser-skilled players at practice and encouraged them in the games.’

Maddie Potts
Pictured Maddie Potts (left) who collapsed after taking a penalty kick for her school soccer team, Chariho High.

Possible Maddie Potts brain aneurysm risk triggers:

To date, investigators didn’t say whether there had been any prior warnings or ongoing health concerns that could have triggered Maddie’s brain aneurism.

According to the Brain Aneurysm foundation, triggering risk factors include; smoking, being over the age over 40, high blood pressure, family history of brain aneurysms, congenital resulting from inborn abnormality in artery wall, drug use (particularly cocaine), tumors, traumatic head injury.

Tributes have been flowing in from the devastated community and a candlelight vigil will be held for Potts on Monday night. 

Ricci said counseling would be available to students and staff in the middle and high schools starting Monday.

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