Sebastien Easton was paired with MSUB's men's soccer team in the fall of 2014 when he was six years old. Now at age 10, Sebastien has since overcome cancer and continues to be an energetic member of the Yellowjacket squad. His mother, Mandy Easton, is an alumna of MSUB's volleyball program.
Player Bio
Date: September 8, 2017
VIDEO: Sebastien Easton Performs The Star Spangled Banner
Date: October 24, 2016
PHOTO GALLERY: Sebastien Easton's Final Chemotherapy Treatment
Date: September 11, 2016
PRESS RELEASE: Newcomers Light Up Scoreboard in 3-0 Win For MSUB Men's Soccer
Date: June 20, 2016
FEATURE STORY: Sebastien Strong: MSUB Men's Soccer Inspired By Youngest Yellowjacket
By: Evan O'Kelly, MSUB Athletics Director of Communications
Sebastien Easton Brings Life and Perspective as Inspirational Warrior Through Battle with Cancer.
The late afternoon sun bore down on Yellowjacket Soccer Field on the City College campus at Montana State University Billings in 2014. A heavy atmosphere accompanied the late September air as six-year-old Sebastien Easton rode along to the field with his family. The Billings native couldn’t possibly have known what to expect, only that he was about to be introduced to a group of young men that to him appeared as larger-than-life sports heroes.
A rush of adrenaline streaked through Sebastien’s tired body, willing him to run onto the field and forget about the hours of chemotherapy treatments that had become part of his weekly routine. His mother Mandy Easton, an MSUB alumna, was in search of a spark; something to give her son hope that one day he could streak up and down the field and score spectacular goals just like the Yellowjackets.
Awaiting Sebastien’s arrival was MSUB head men’s soccer coach Alex Balog, fresh off completing a midseason training session as his team prepared for a rigorous Great Northwest Athletic Conference NCAA Division II schedule. The Belgian head coach was admittedly nervous for his team’s initial encounter with Sebastien, the connection being coordinated through the Team IMPACT program that pairs children fighting diseases with college athletic teams.
But when Sebastien arrived and tucked his shoulders beneath Balog’s outstretched arm, the fit couldn’t have been more natural.
Balog ushered Sebastien – a soccer ball in tow as the youngster received his first-ever dribbling tips – towards the group of Yellowjackets waiting anxiously to meet their newest teammate as they stretched out their recovering muscles in a circle. Placed at the center of it all was Sebastien. His brow furrowed in concentration as, one-by-one, 29 uniquely talented footballers from all stretches of the globe offered their greetings.
“Hi Sebastien, I’m Sam Butterworth.” A quick, nervous wave returned the words put forth by MSUB’s British left back. A nod here, a smile there, Sebastien recognized the sound waves of more than a dozen different accents as he twirled slowly in a full circle around the group.
Last to go was Australian midfielder Rhys Lambert, who presented Sebastien with an MSUB jersey, complete with signatures from every player and coach, and a sharp, snap-back Yellowjackets hat that he pulled perfectly onto his head.
While undoubtedly overwhelmed by the moment, Sebastien managed to lift a triumphant thumbs-up and join in as the most cultured team in Billings let loose a mighty, bellowing cheer that had become the trademark of MSUB Men’s Soccer.
From the distant gates to the field, Mandy looked on as her son fostered what would become the backbone he needed most. She knew of the power sport had to bring
individuals together as a family from her playing days on the volleyball court as a Yellowjacket. She even held hope that Sebastien’s bond with the team would eventually equip him with the will to defeat the disease he suffered from.
But no one could have predicted that Sebastien Easton and MSUB Men’s Soccer would quickly become one and the same, each a vicarious representation of the other. Though he couldn’t have understood his purpose at the time he first walked onto Yellowjacket Field, Sebastien was on his way to transforming and shaping the lives of the Yellowjacket student-athletes beyond the skills they could learn on the field and in their classes.
“We deal with 18 to 22-year-olds who are all very good soccer players, and all of them think that they should play,” Balog commented. “That is good for the program, because you want players who are competitors. But then came along this boy who was fighting for his life, and it really helped a lot of our guys put things into perspective. When our guys saw how much heart Sebastien had, it made them realize that other things in life outside of soccer are much more important.”
Before long, Sebastien became a regular along the sidelines with the Yellowjackets, screaming encouragement from the bench during home matches. The entire 2014 season Sebastien was along for the ride, regularly attending training sessions, team meals and activities, and sporting his Yellowjacket gear while attending Highland Elementary School.
The unrelenting battle with cancer continued to limit Sebastien’s energy however, his Yellowjacket cap helping cover his head where he had lost hair from grueling treatments. As MSUB prepared to take the pitch and open its spring exhibition schedule at the beginning of 2015, Balog was struck by an idea to help his team display it was by Sebastien’s side throughout his battle.
After visiting Sebastien in the hospital multiple times leading up to their first game against Rocky Mountain College, the team’s newest member summoned enough strength to join the Yellowjackets in their locker room the morning of the game. Cleats, jerseys, and athletic tape were replaced by stools and electric shavers, as members of the team took turns shaving their heads for the ‘Be Brave and Shave’ fundraiser.
The soccer ball met bald craniums throughout the day as the ‘Jackets won 50-50 balls, and a sense of confidence had been restored to Sebastien as his heroes once again offered a figurative tip of the cap. “He came into our training sessions and his parents really stayed away and let him go on his own,” said Balog. “He showed he was timid at first, but after a few minutes it was like he had been on the team for a while. Since then, his comfort level has grown tremendously, and when the guys on the team know he is coming they look forward to playing with him.”
As flights from around the globe returned to Billings in August of 2015, it was Sebastien’s turn to wait for his now-teammates to arrive and greet him in the Magic City. But as a new group of Yellowjackets came together to start the fall season, tragedy struck as incoming freshman goalkeeper Trevor Wildberger lost his own long battle with cancer.
Devastated, the players turned to one another for solace as they were once again reminded of the privilege it is to suit up in a Yellowjacket uniform. Never had Sebastien’s presence been more relied upon or needed, his inspiration to keep fighting helping to restore hope on a team that had lost a brother.
October 15, 2015 marked the annual MSUB Kicks Cancer game at Yellowjacket Field, the team’s game against Concordia University representing far more than points in the conference table. Wildberger’s parents had accepted an invitation to attend the match from their home in Rocklin, Calif., and took part in a pregame moment of silence and remembrance ceremony in honor of their late son.
The huddle of bowed heads wearing pink warmup t-shirts eventually broke loose, as the match time approached and MSUB prepared itself to play. Sebastien stepped into the midfield circle to perform the ceremonial kickoff along with an emotional Balog. “It was an incredibly difficult and trying time, as we were faced with the extreme of a young man in Trevor who didn’t win a fight against cancer and passed away,” said Balog. “On the other hand, our players and coaches saw this little boy who kept fighting and surviving, and that helped us recover and continue to live for Trevor.”
The odds didn’t play into the Yellowjackets’ favor that day, as a 2-0 halftime deficit was worsened by a red card early on in the start of the second half.
Somewhere, somehow, the will to fight and refusal to concede overcame the ‘Jackets and they rallied for a remarkable 3-2 victory. Ricardo Palomino put forth a heroic performance with a second-half hat trick, and though
MSUB finished the match with just 10 players on the field, the entire team knew that Wildberger was its spiritual 11th that carried them to victory.
It is Sebastien’s courage that the Yellowjackets continue to rely upon, just as they did last October when they needed a lift only he was capable of providing. Preparing to return to the team this fall for his third season on the roster, Sebastien’s battle has progressed well. Though he still occasionally sports his Yellowjacket snap-back, he likes to display his now-full head of hair. While still battling the disease, Sebastien’s cancer has gone into remission and his check-ins at the hospital have been stretched to once every month.
Sebastien’s inspiration extends beyond the men’s soccer team, as he has influenced MSUB’s entire athletic department as well. The Yellowjacket softball team introduced the signing of its own Team IMPACT member, Bria Koch, last spring as the partnership between organizations continues to grow. Like Sebastien, Bria is battling a tough disease in Diamond-Blackfan anemia and will regularly participate in team activities with the softball team for years to come.
As far as Balog and the ‘Jackets are concerned, Sebastien has become a permanent fixture among the team’s roster. “The biggest compliment Mandy has given me is that she can drop Sebastien off and know he is going to be in good hands surrounded by 26 brothers,” said Balog. “He is a very lively little boy, and for him to be around us without his parents or siblings is a beautiful example of the synergy we have created.”
Date: October 17, 2015
PRESS RELEASE: Palomino's Second-Half Hat Trick Lifts MSUB to 3-2 Come-From-Behind Win Over CU
Date: April 23, 2015
PRESS RELEASE: MSUB Men's Soccer Wins Yellowjacket Award For Service At 2015 Buzzies
Date: March 14, 2015
PRESS RELEASE: MSUB Men's Soccer Hosts "Be Brave & Shave" Fundraiser for Sebastien Easton
Date: September 24, 2014
PRESS RELEASE: Yellowjacket Men Adopt 6-Year-Old With Cancer Through Team IMPACT
