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New Parent Heise Returns To The Pitch

As a head soccer coach for Gray Collegiate Academy, Kevin Heise has always kept a busy schedule. But now, there's a new role for him to take on - being a father.

Kevin Heise usually isn't one to get distracted during a soccer match. But Thursday night at the West Columbia Soccer Complex, Heise could be seen during the match checking his phone for various text messages.

A little more than 24 hours after the birth of his first child, the first year Gray Collegiate Academy head coach was watching his team defeat Fox Creek 7-0. The lack of drama on the pitch was quite welcome after the drama of the previous day.

"The last 36 hours have been an absolute whirlwind," Heise said.

"There's no doubt about it, just the range of emotions. The fun, the joy, the people you haven't heard from, it's been surreal. It's something me and Emily were talking about last night. We're going to look back on this, this summer, and have a chance to really digest what happened. We're trying to take as many pictures and write down as many things as we can because there's a lot going on right now."

His wife, Emily, is the girls soccer coach at Gray Collegiate Academy. So this soccer couple has already solicited help from various family members to watch their daughter during the season while the Heises take care of practices and matches. Emily is expected to return to coaching next week, and Heise figures to be less and less distracted as he settles in to being a parent.

The fact that mother and daughter are doing well allowed him to carry on his function as a functioning but somewhat distracted coach who stayed in constant contact with his wife.

"We had several texts going back and forth," Heise said.

"My A.D. came over here and looked over my shoulder and said 'How's it going, Coach?' I said ' Are you talking about the match or (are you) talking about what's going on at the hospital?' " But it's all good and it's one of those neat things. Everybody's been there and they're telling me how it's going to be. But until live through it and do it, it's new, it's new to me."

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