Former Episcopal High School soccer standout Abel “Shadow” Sebele, center, died after being hit by a car Jan. 7 while crossing a street in San Diego. A tribute soccer match and memorial service will be held Jan. 17 at EHS. Photo Contributed
Soccer fans on two continents are mourning the loss of Abel “Shadow” Sebele, a 2009 graduate of Episcopal High School who was killed Jan. 7 when he was struck by a vehicle while crossing a street in San Diego.
A star in his native Zimbabwe, Sebele considered Alexandria his adopted hometown and EHS will hold a tribute soccer match and memorial service Jan. 17 to honor the player who just days ago celebrated his 26th birthday.
“We are so devastated by the tragic loss of Shadow,” said EHS Assistant Director of Athletics Damian Walsh. “In the Episcopal community we were all aware of his bright soul and his kind spirit but it has been absolutely incredible for us to learn about the impact that he had on all of the stops along his journey. From San Diego to Wichita, Des Moines and Morgantown, West Virginia, the amount of support that has been offered has been heartwarming.”
Born Dec. 31, 1989 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Sebele came to the U.S. in 2005 when he received a scholarship to EHS. He was already known as “Shadow,” a nickname he earned because of the way he would follow his older brother everywhere.
“Only my grandmother still calls me Abel,” Sebele would say with a laugh.
At EHS, Sebele ran track and was a member of the indoor 4x400 state record-holding relay team. He was also a captain of the soccer team, including the 2009 state championship team. In soccer, he holds the EHS record for single season goals (31) and assists (23), and he remains Episcopal’s all-time leading scorer, with 70 goals in 71 games.
In 2009, Sebele received the soccer player of the year award from the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club.
“I remember clearly Shadow’s impressive athletic credentials, character and work ethic both on the field and off,” said former ASC president Marc Leon. “What a tragic loss of a fine young man.”
Sebele went on to attend West Virginia University, where he was a midfielder for the Mountaineers, scoring 14 goals and executing the second highest number of assists (25) in program history. He graduated from WVU in 2012 with a degree in sports management.
Following graduation, Sebele continued his soccer career, playing for the Des Moines Menace of the USL Premier Development League, the indoor Wichita B-52s, and then the outdoor Wichita team in the National Premier Soccer League. For FC Wichita, he was the club’s first captain and scored the first goal in team history. His #18 jersey will be the first to be retired, according to the club’s Facebook page.
In 2015, Sebele joined the San Diego Sockers, a professional indoor soccer team. The Sockers will honor Shadow with a moment of silence prior to their game on Sunday, Jan. 17, and the team will wear memorial patches bearing his #18 for the remainder of the season.
As an alumnus, Sebele returned to EHS to join the boys' soccer coaching staff as an assistant coach for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, preparing the team for a conference championship in 2014 and a state semifinal appearance in 2015.
"I am so blessed to have had the privilege of knowing Shadow Sebele,” said EHS varsity soccer coach Rick Wilcox. “First as an amazing student athlete who courageously embarked on an American adventure and enriched the lives of so many Episcopal teammates and classmates, and more recently as a coaching colleague and good friend.”
Sebele is survived by his parents Simo Moyo and Ezekiel Dlubhe Sebele; two sisters, Yekelani and Steffinah; two brothers, Ndumiso and Sabelo; his EHS guardians, Doug and Diane Kehlenbrink; and their son, Peter.
Walsh created a GoFundMe page to help the Sebele family with the costs incurred in transporting Sebele’s body back to Zimbabwe, where he will be buried. It raised more than $25,000 in two days.
“This incredible amount of support is going to be such a huge help to the Sebele family,” Walsh said. “Hopefully we can continue to get the word out to friends and family and other supporters of soccer. We are going to get Shadow home and give his family the means to have a special funeral for a special young man.”
A stateside memorial service and reception for Sebele will be held Jan. 17 at 2:30 p.m. at Callaway Chapel on the EHS campus. Friends and former soccer teammates are invited to participate in the Shadow Sebele Tribute Match at Coxe Field that morning at 10:30 a.m.
A fund is also being established by EHS alumni to honor Sebele’s memory. For more information, contact Rick Wilcox at 703-933-4024 or fw@episcopalhighschool.org.
“Shadow was an inspiration on the field and an incredible friend to so many off the field,” Wilcox said. “He was embraced by every community he played in because of his humble nature and his warm and loving personality."