John Shea has poured his heart into the game of basketball. And now it’s that same heart that keeps him on the sidelines for the University of Maine Black Bears.
The 6-foot-6 senior from Auburn arrived at UMaine four years ago as a freshman walk-on after being one of the top high school players in the state. He averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds per game at Edward Little High School, where he recently had his number retired, and was named Mr. Maine Basketball in 2022.
Shea brought years of hard work and plenty of talent to Orono, along with dreams of playing for his home state team.
But health issues quickly got in the way.
Initially slowed by a hip injury that required surgery, Shea later developed a condition called dysautonomia that disrupts his cardiovascular system.
That condition, which Shea said is potentially a result of his body not reacting well to anesthesia after multiple surgeries, has sidelined him from the game ever since.
“Basically, my heart doesn’t talk to my brain the way it’s supposed to — causes rapid heartbeat, dizzy spells, things like that,” Shea said. “So it’s not really super safe to play with.”
Shea’s health has kept him out of games, but it hasn’t kept him away from the team. He has remained a dedicated member of the Black Bear bench and participates in activities at practice that don’t raise his heart rate too much, helping to prepare for opponents while supporting his teammates in any way he can on and off the court.
Though his college basketball dreams have not materialized the way he hoped, Shea believes there’s a reason for all of it. And he brings an unyielding positivity wherever he goes.
“Honestly, I’m a big perspective guy. So, the way I look at it, someone has it worse than me,” Shea told the Bangor Daily News. “There’s 5 year-old kids in the hospital dying with terminal cancer. And I can’t look in the mirror and feel bad for myself because I have a heart condition that doesn’t really affect my everyday life too much.”
Through it all, Shea remains focused on what he can do to spread positivity, rather than what’s been taken from him.
“I’m just blessed to be able to get up and get out of bed and, and walk on my own two legs and make it to class on time, and just be able to run around with the guys in practice — be able to just do normal life things,” Shea said.
There have been tears
Four minutes. Two points. Two rebounds. One block.
That is the entirety of Shea’s official stat line over the course of his four-year, injury-laden career at UMaine.
It doesn’t come close to reflecting the contributions that Shea has made to the Black Bears over that stretch.
Coach Chris Markwood calls Shea “the ultimate teammate,” someone who is willing to do whatever he needs to in support of those around him even though he’s been facing headwinds pretty much since arriving on campus.
“He’s battled through a lot of injuries, and some unique medical issues that took some time to kind of figure out,” Markwood said about Shea, who remains on the team roster even though he is medically unable to play. “And even through all of that adversity, he’s stayed true to who he is.”
Go to any UMaine home game, and you’ll see Shea hyping up his teammates, grabbing rebounds in the layup line, flashing a smile or offering quiet words of encouragement to his fellow Black Bears. What you won’t see is all the behind-the-scenes help Shea provides, whether it’s driving teammates to and from the gym or grabbing them a fruit cup in the middle of practice because they need a boost.
Somehow, despite all he has weathered these past four years, he manages to radiate positivity.
That doesn’t mean it’s been a walk in the park.
“Now, I’d be lying to you if I said there weren’t tears,” Shea said about being sidelined with his heart condition. “I’d be lying to you if I said that it wasn’t extremely tough when it first happened.”
There were times early on that Shea would find himself breaking down in the locker room before a game.
“It was so difficult to know that I put 18 years of my heart and soul into this game, and then essentially it just [gets] taken from me out of nowhere,” Shea said.
His coach was there to console him.
“First and foremost, we want him to know that we love him and we’re here for him,” Markwood said about being there for Shea in those difficult moments. “It’s not just about basketball. We’re not a program or a staff that’s gonna throw a guy to the side just because he can’t perform on the court. We’ve tried to really build this thing around the care factor and the relationships.”
Shea is grateful for the trust and support he’s received from Markwood and the entire coaching staff, and feels blessed for the opportunities he still has to contribute rather than dwelling on what could have been.
A leader off the court
The positivity that Shea casts stretches far beyond the basketball court in Orono, where he is also co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The committee plays several roles, including getting student athletes more involved on campus and in the surrounding community.
As part of those efforts, Shea and other committee leaders help support community initiatives like local food drives.
That involvement, and his perseverance, has earned Shea praise from campus leaders, including UMaine Athletic Director Jude Killy, who credits Shea for pushing through hard things.
“He has such deep care and commitment,” Killy said. “Being here — part of this team, this department, this university and this state — all mean so much to him. We are lucky to have him and his energy around us.”
Whether it’s in basketball or in everyday life, Shea tries not to get stuck on the negative things. He doesn’t want to bring others down, even though it could be very easy for him to slip into a “woe-is-me” attitude.
“But that’s not the way I was raised by my mom and dad, and that’s not the type of person I am,” Shea said. “Again, it’s totally OK to be upset and those types of things, but feeling bad for yourself consistently and letting it dwell for an extended amount of time is just, that’s on you. And that’s not something that I’m willing to do.”
Along with his parents, he also credits his faith in Jesus for the perspective he’s been able to maintain.
A marketing major, Shea has already started his own payment processing company and said he has about 15 accounts in the Bangor area. He plans to go into financial advising after UMaine.
And no matter what the future has in story for Shea, his coach is confident that he’s battle-tested and prepared to excel.
“I think it just speaks volumes, how he’s responded and how he’s kind of redirected some of that energy and effort that he used to put into basketball into some other things,” Markwood said. “He’s going to be highly successful in whatever he puts his mind to.”
Lessons for a struggling team
Shea’s experience could also help his team find some success this season.
The Black Bears have been facing their own form of adversity to start the year, going winless through their first 10 games while weathering injuries and still trying to find their team identity.
Though he wasn’t traveling with the team during its recent road trip, Shea was texting his teammates and sharing encouragement through those early struggles.
“I just texted a few of the guys saying, ‘I’m thinking of you guys, we’re right there. We just need that one win and it’s all gonna flip around,’” Shea said.
Markwood believes Shea’s resilience can be instructive for the whole team.
“We’re losing a bunch of close games, we got a bunch of injuries and we’re trying to figure things out,” Markwood said.
“But if we can take anything from others’ experience — a guy like John — you just gotta keep battling it and working through, and things will work out on the other end.”
