Parkview Soccer Player Dies During Practice

CUMMING, GA — A 16-year-old soccer player at Parkview High School collapsed and died Saturday while practicing with his club team in Cumming, officials say.

Michael Jones was taking part in warmups with the Atlanta Fire United club team Saturday morning when he collapsed, Forsyth County officials say. CPR was already being conducted when paramedics arrived and he was rushed to Northside Hospital Forsyth, but died shortly afterward.

He suffered apparent cardiac arrest, Forsyth officials said.

Jones was about to begin his junior year at Parkview and was a rising star for the defending state champion Panthers.

"When I got the news from a friend of mine, I was shocked because a 16-year-old, you don't expect that to happen and if you guys could see him play, you would never have thought this kid would've passed away this way," Parkview soccer coach Danny Klinect told Fox 5 Atlanta. "I'm still in shock."

Klinect told the station Jones "wasn't the tallest guy on the team, but he had the biggest heart and he made up for it by just outworking everybody. You know, he's the kind of kid you want to be a focal point of your team."

In a pair of posts on Twitter on Saturday and Sunday, the Parkview soccer program acknowledged Michael's tragic death.

"Parkview soccer lost a young man this morning who epitomized Panther soccer," read the first tweet, from Saturday. "Keep the Jones family in your prayers."

And on Sunday: "Parkview community thanks you for your outpouring of support. It's a tragedy, but he played the game with passion that we should all emulate."

Klinect told Fox 5 he didn't know if Michael had any pre-existing health conditions that may have contributed to his collapse.

Photo via parkviewsoccer.com