By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – Hayley Renae Reynolds was a 21-year-old Airman in the U.S. Air Force assigned to a Royal Air Force Base in England who appeared to have a bright future.
A native of New Haven, Indiana, she was a Christian who loved to do mission work, planned to go to nursing school and volunteered her days off to work in a hospital, where she worked in labor and delivery.
But on the night of November 24, 2017 she was driving in the English countryside by herself in challenging conditions. It was shortly after midnight and raining and the wind was blustery. She lost control of her car, ran off the road and hit a tree.
The Norfolk County, England Fire and Rescue and Suffolk County, England Police responded, but she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Fast forward nearly five years to a few weeks ago. That's when Old Dominion men's soccer coach Alan Dawson found out about Hayley Reynolds, and connected with her mother, Tina Reynolds, in the most unexpected fashion.
Dawson was leaving ODU's campus on a Friday evening and opened the door to his 1996 Land Rover when he noticed a pink painted rock with the word "faith" painted on the front. It was laying on the ground, next to a fence post. He saw it only because his car, like all those in his native Northern Ireland, have their steering wheels on the right side.
"I would have missed it otherwise," he said.
Not knowing what to make of it, he left it there, but his wife, Mari, insisted they go back and get it the next day.
They picked it up and found out it had been painted by Tina Reynolds, who painted dozens of rocks that have been found all over the country. There was a small tag on the back identifying this was intended to honor the life of Hayley Reynolds.
Hundreds more have been painted by friends around the country. They have been placed in hotel lobbies, shopping malls and other places for people to find.
Hayley Reynolds
People are asked to post on the "Remembering Hayley" Facebook page, and are given the option of keeping the rock or placing it somewhere for others to find.
After posting that he'd found the rock, Tina Reynolds thanked Dawson and asked him "to remember Hayley."
When Dawson's Monarchs open the season at home Friday night at 7 against George Mason, that's just what they will do. They will remember Hayley.
His team is coming off a frustrating 3-9-2 season and during the offseason, he did a major overhaul of his roster. There are 13 newcomers on a team that will play its first season in the Sun Belt Conference, a powerful league with Marshall, Kentucky and West Virginia all ranked in the preseason Top 25.
In other words, the Monarchs are facing a difficult challenge this fall.
Dawson said he doesn't think it was a coincidence the rock was next to his car. He wants his players to draw inspiration from bravery shown by a grieving mother fighting to keep her daughter's memory alive.
"I'm going to bring it up to my team and talk to them about it," he said. "I'm going to tell them, 'Look, things are going to be tough this season. Our backs will be against the wall.
"Hayley lived in Norfolk, England and this shows up in Norfolk, Virginia?
"Somehow, this thing was supposed to come my way, and come your way, and we're going to keep the faith all season.' "
Things got off to a rough start for ODU when team captain Nick Osygus, a sophomore from Wuppertal, Germany, tore his Achilles Tendon in the first scrimmage.
Even so, Dawson says, "We're much improved, certainly up front, certainly in goal, really all over the pitch.
"But we don't have a ton of depth. We'll have to stay fresh and healthy."
ODU is stronger in goal thanks to Michael Statham, a freshman from Stockport, England whom Dawson said played well in three exhibitions, in which he allowed just two goals.
"He's a big upgrade and has been a good leader," Dawson said.
Coach Alan Dawson
Midfielder Karan Mandair, a sophomore from Hastings, New Zealand, is one of the few returning starters. He was second on the team in scoring last season. Samuel Mar Kristinsson (6-foot-3, 185 pounds), a newcomer from Reykjavik, Iceland adds needed size and savvy to ODU's defense.
Louis Beckett, a freshman midfielder from Bridlington, England, "is a tremendous addition." Midfielder Eli Carr (Longwood), midfielder Nicola Missiroli (Gardner-Webb), defender Jan Marpe (St. Mary's) and forward Jonas Schmalbach (Central Florida) are transfers who may start.
Schmallbach and forward Tristan Jenkins from the University of South Wales are graduate transfers who will start and provide experience.
Freshman Liam Thomas, a 5-7 forward from London, could be a scoring threat, although like many Europeans, is struggling to adapt to the heat and humidity in Hampton Roads. "He's going to be a good player for us," Dawson said.
Alexis Lamontagne, a transfer from Francis Bourrin in Quebec, is a 6-2 midfielder who adds size, as does 6-2 freshman forward Michael Eberle, from Dumfries, Virginia and 6-2 defender Fabian Rieser, a freshman from Innsbruck, Austria.
Six players from Virginia Beach provide depth – Domenic Hankle, Ryan Mahon, Aaron Deans, Gavin Dooren, Trevor Ferguson, and Owen Ruddy. Kevin Ramos and Michael Schaefer come to ODU from Woodbridge in Northern Virginia, Joel Albritton from Chesapeake's Indian River High and Joshua Fox from Orlando, Florida.
The Sun Belt did not sponsor men's soccer last season, but has emerged as a soccer powerhouse this season. West Virginia from the Big 12 and South Carolina and Kentucky from the SEC come from conferences that do not sponsor men's soccer.
ODU and Marshall, which were in Conference USA last season, and James Madison from the CAA are full-fledged league newcomers. Coastal Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern round out the nine-team league.
Central Florida is scheduled to join the Sun Belt in 2023 when the school joins the Big 12.
"The conference is already a beast," Dawson said. "When UCF comes in next year, it could be the second-best in the country," behind only the ACC.
Knowing he could not completely rebuild his program in one season, Dawson nonetheless brought in enough experience and size to match up against the Sun Belt's big and physical teams.
Goalie Michael Statham
"We got bullied a bit last year," he said. "I don't think that will happen this year.
"We're going to try to post enough league wins to get into the Sun Belt Tournament. Anything can happen when you're in the tournament."
Dawson says he hasn't yet told his players about the rock and withheld that on purpose.
"'People may say I'm crazy, but I think it was meant for me to find it," he said.
The rock was last reported on Facebook as being seen in Arkansas. How it got to Norfolk, and was sitting next to Dawson's car, is a mystery.
As I interviewed Dawson in his office Wednesday afternoon he grew emotional.
"Who the heck comes from Arkansas to Norfolk?" Dawson said. "There's a reason this happened. There has to be.
"I've told our assistant coaches about this but have been holding back until the right moment to tell our players."
Tina Reynolds has made hundreds of Facebook posts about her daughter, and her intent was clear in the final lines of a eulogy she wrote nearly five years ago.
"My hope is, with the rock project, more people will learn who she was and say her name. I will not let her be forgotten! She LIVED!"
Dawson hasn't told her that he plans to share her daughter's story with his players. I reached out to her Wednesday night to let her know and she was, as you would expect, very touched and emotional.
"I love that," she said. "And so would she. I hope this team does find faith.
"Hayley's faith was so strong. Her favorite verse was Joshua 1:9."
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Dawson said he will hold onto the rock until December when he returns to his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland to celebrate Christmas.
"Tina Reynolds is going to get a post from Northern Ireland sometime in December," he said.
"I've already started to think where I will leave it."
WEEKEND MATCH LINKS
FRIDAY'S MATCHUP
WHO: George Mason at Old Dominion
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: ODU Soccer Stadium
WATCH: https://es.pn/3wz8LqT - ESPN+
LIVE STATS: https://bit.ly/3dXzrv9
SUNDAY'S MATCHUP
WHO: American at Old Dominion
WHEN: 6 p.m.
WHERE: ODU Soccer Stadium
WATCH: https://es.pn/3CxppLu - ESPN+
LIVE STATS: https://bit.ly/3dXzrv9
Minium: ODU Men's Soccer Will Be Asked by Coach Alan Dawson to "Remember Hayley"
