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Sam Copeland
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In Memory of Sam Copeland
Written by Lee Mason

 

On Monday 27th October a group of UPHC donned their best Ones dress and boarded the bus to head off across the country for a two hour drive to near Bath where we met up with other UPHC who had made their own way there. We weren’t thinking about the line-up, or who was subbing in fact we weren’t going for a game, rather something far more important. We weren’t alone either I’d say at least 300 others were also there for the same reason to remember a great guy who was quintessentially UPHC and sadly ripped away from us by Cystic Fibrosis, Samuel Copeland.

All of you will have seen the posts on the wall and on people’s private profiles, but understandably some of you being Freshers to the club will be confused and whilst joining in with the minutes silence held at all our games last week and seeing tears out of old boys not be fully aware of Sam, who he was, what he did and why you have truly missed out in life not having got to know him. I’m going to highlight some of my memories of him, these are not extensive rather a taster, others will have different memories of Sam some of which you will no doubt hear in the future.
Samuel Copeland was a Fresher in 2012 doing a Maths course and from Chippenham, Wilts, favourite Christmas meat pigs in blankets and with 2 siblings. On the fresher pub crawl he was claimed by Dragon as his fresher a decision which a proud Dragon never regret. He first came to notoriety in the club when after too many Snakey Bs and unable to get back to Langstone flats he crashed at Bash’s and Eggles’ house next to the union. Needless to say the story have a twist, Sam wet the sofa he slept on during the night and left their flat early in the morning, this was discovered by Eggles when she sat down on it in the morning and found herself damp, as expected much banter came of this.

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I truly got to know him 10th of November 2012 when I had walked down for a quiet one at the Union with Langers. Security came to get me to take a drunk fresher home which was often the case. The issue being one of our Freshers had just been refused a cab after a few Bev’s too many with the sat squad and was outside throwing his wallet around getting emotional over it. The Sat squad had moved on assuming he would be fine in a taxi, so Sam was left alone. The solution I got to walk him back to Langstone which at the outset seemed a huge pain and burden for me, but by the time I reached Langstone having got to know him I felt uplifted and the gifted one. He didn’t mention his illness, more it was his plucky determination that impressed me, any quizzing on whether he could hack something was met with a determined “OF COURSE!!!”. He talked of his beloved brother a big shot at UPHC at University of Portsmouth, his plans to push for the 1’s and “of course” how he could hack tour.  The couple of hours it took were in hindsight gratefully slow and I am fond of how I got to know this cheeky chap.

In the run up to tour Burt, who was his 2’s captain, asked me to keep an eye on Sam on tour and look after him if need be as it was quite serious as Burt wasn’t going but was concerned. At first I thought it was just fears over the little guy being picked on, but then after a little googling about Cystic Fibrosis after Burt’s warning I found out the uphill struggle Sam faced with a smile each day.
Sam and I sat next to each other on the 24 hours out to tour and in between him eating his cat biscuits, necking his Lucozade and working his way through a mountain of Haribo after getting a permanent marker pen make over from the girls at the back of the bus we chatted which is when I found out about his personal battle with Cystic Fibrosis which was something he never wanted to be a big deal or hockey at general to be aware of. However, he didn’t let it get him down or hold him back nor use it as an excuse. In fact, when I offered him the chance to get out of some challenges, he was determined to complete them to prove he could, he was Sam a fresher, never defined by the disease that sought to hold him back. Running around the hotel with his Mexican wrestler’s face paint, eating, sleeping, beving and cleaning with his challenge mop constantly at his side not to forget his bleached hair.

However unlike other freshers when back in the UK he was straight into the hospital and the ICU for three weeks, he asked for it to be kept under wraps as he didn’t ever want pity or people feeling sorry for him in the hockey club.
He was too ill to take part in Fresher fun day but still came along to give support to other freshers going through it. This was the only time when I ever saw him looking miserable and despondent to have his illness prevent him from joining something with other freshers. Something in fact other freshers would have loved to have got out of.
Fitness and health had their part and the following year Sam dropped from the 2’s to the 3’s. He wasn’t too proud to be dropped and put his best in even if some games he could only play for part of the game due to breathing problems. He contributed more in the stints on the pitch than some members have during their entire time at Portsmouth. He was loved by his fellow 3’s and Stone and McAndrew took him under their wings again he was a fountain of banter and kept me entertained.
The last time I saw him play for UPHC was when he came away with the 4’s to Roehampton at Surbiton Hockey club where he was only on for short stints but my memory of him in the second half of sitting back in his sunglasses on the bench, enjoying the winter sun and taking it easy with his Lucozade and telling me he had mainly come along as he had heard we were going to Nando’s after and felt like a meal. Still he blended into the team and helped pick the winner of cupcake challenge.

He also tried to inspire us to be better getting involved with good deed nominations as an answer to neck and nominate, being videoed buying sausage rolls and coffee for a homeless person in the city centre.
His health again was an issue being on new drugs and having a lapse in the run up to his second tour with arguments with his doctors over drugs stating “the docs have pissed me off. they've been really strict and think that I have all the time in the world to do everything they want me to do, yet don’t care that I have Uni work and I want a life”. This summed up Sam that he was determined not to be held back, he also messaged me “I would rather go on tour and have an awesome time then have to go into hospital, than not go on tour and be fine” A determination that always marked out Sam, and made me intolerant of Freshers who had everything going for them but wouldn’t put the effort in that Sam did so desperately.

Sam was a legend on tour, doing dispute resolution, looking after Freshers, being his usual bright self, even looking after Oli on the last night after the 20 funnels so I could go out with peace of mind. Oli was also grateful for this as it meant he got to know Sam better something Oli was grateful for long after the memories of being looked after were gone. Whilst I knew he was in hospital on his return to the UK and with his parents had to make the hard decision to defer from University due to health, when I spoke to him he was upbeat and talking about looking forward to coming down to visit Portsmouth. Typical Sam being positive and encouraging for the benefit of others.

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Conclusions. One thing Uni should have taught us is no report is worth its salt unless it has conclusions at the end.
 

Be more Sam.
Knowing Sam makes me want to be a better person, whereas I’m vindictive grudge bearing and grumpy, Sam was always positive, happy and his smile always made others feel better.

It’s not the cards your dealt but how you play them.
Sam didn’t get given the best cards in life, but he made the most of them, especially compared with others who have been dealt Aces but would prefer to bitch about how they don’t like Milkshake or tins of beans. He did everything he could in life and smiled whilst doing it.

Always see the Person and never the disability.
Cystic Fibrosis didn’t define Sam, most people at Uni weren’t aware he had it and he was always Sam first, second and last and was never held ransom by it.

Anything we can do to defeat it in Sam’s name is the best legacy. It has stolen one of the nicest people I know from me, hockey and his massive friend circle and for this crime I want to see Cystic Fibrosis be taken down. As a club we aim to do all we can this year to do so and this is where you come in. When you look at the fresher sat next to you on the Bus or in the union or even on the pitch remember that could be Sam. Please make sure you support all the fundraising activities of the club, give where you can and always be involved in promoting and spreading awareness of the cause.

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