Shawn Adams was playing Ultimate for Voodoo at the Monkey Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday, April 10, 1994 when lightning struck the field, knocking everyone down, critically injuring Carmen Lipoma and killing Shawn. Shawn was from Chattanooga, but had picked up with us many times in the past. He was a good friend, and we miss him very much. The "Nooga" folks (including Sterling Pendleton, his friend who had also picked up with us that weekend) quickly organized a tournament in Chattanooga in honor of Shawn. Shawn was the heart and soul of Chattanooga Ultimate. He personified the idea of Spirit of the Game. I never heard Shawn bitch at anyone but himself ("Aw Man").
We did not win the first annual Shawn tournament, but we were awarded the Spirit of the Game award. In most sports, this might be looked upon as a "booby prize", but in Ultimate, and especially at this tournament, it was a great honor. The disc is really cool: you should take a closer look at it.
It was at the 1st Annual Shawn Tournament that one of the Chattanooga players was arrested for retrieving a disc out of the street in front of the party. Apparently the young female police officer maced him! I think she took some good ribbing from her male coworkers that night, and an editorial cartoon in the local Chattanooga newspaper made light of the situation as well. It made a great t-shirt for the next years Shawn Tournament!