LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD The controversy’s crescendo came against Pine Bush High School in the opening round of the state tournament. Before the game, Pine Bush lodged a protest with the NYSPHSAA, citing Horseheads’ use of a male player. That protest was denied, and the Blue Raiders went on to win the match.
In April, the team found out that its long-time Athletic Trainer and BYU’s Director of Sports Medicine, Gaye Merrill, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. They wanted to show their support and came up with the idea to switch the color of their bracelets to pink, signifying breast cancer awareness.
“I don’t think that boys should be playing girls’ volleyball,” Pine Bush Head Coach Lori Kachelmeyer told the Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record. “They’re stronger, they’re faster, they can jump higher, and they’re just physically more advanced than women are.”
“The idea came from the athletes themselves, and our
someone close to you has cancer. And they had questions: What exactly is it? What does this mean for her future? “Gaye handled it so well,” he continues. “She was very open with the players and wanted them to know what she was going through. So while this was a really sad event, it was also an educational experience for our student-athletes.”
BYU made it to the final eight teams of the NCAA Division I Tournament at the end of the season, and Merrill was along for the ride. “Gaye went with us to the tournament, and we had a fun season getting as far as we did,” Watson says. “I’m so happy that she got to be a part of that. Gaye is doing wonderfully right now. We’re all thrilled about her recovery and look forward to next season with her on our sideline.”
In her 20-plus years of coaching, Perone says she has never dealt with the level of stress that she felt throughout the ordeal. However, she says she has grown from the experience and so have her players. “It was the kind of adversity we don’t normally face,” says Perone. “It taught us a lot of life lessons and I think it really brought our team together. The experience will serve the student-athletes all very well, especially later on in their lives.” Perone also understands the concerns of those who wanted to prevent Ray from playing. “I certainly know where they’re coming from,” she says. “But I think it comes down to not judging somebody until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”
MARK A. PHILBRICK/BYU PHOTO
Supporting the Supporter For the past few years, the Brigham Young University women’s team has had its season’s theme imprinted on bracelets. This past fall’s theme, for instance, was “Be Tough.” But instead of printing those words on a bracelet with the usual team colors, the players chose pink to make a statement.
The Brigham Young University women’s volleyball team used the motto “Be Tough” this year to help guide them to the NCAA Division I Regional Finals. The phrase was also in support of the team’s athletic trainer, who was battling breast cancer. theme of “Be Tough” fit the situation perfectly,” says BYU Head Coach Jason Watson. “I think it had a dramatic effect upon Gaye that the girls would do that for her.” When Merrill, a BYU graduate and employee for over 25 years, was diagnosed, she sent an e-mail to the players, telling them of the doctor’s discovery. “It was definitely a shock to all of us,” Watson says. “There was some uncertainty from the team, as there always is when you find out
Other than a few weeks in October, Merrill continued to work throughout her chemotherapy treatments and even traveled with the team throughout the season. “We often talk about our volleyball program and our athletic program as a family,” Watson says. “Here was a member of our family who needed our support. We still wanted her to be a part of our season because she is such an important component of the team. I felt it was incredibly beneficial both for Gaye and the girls to be so connected.”
Right-Click Recruiting Setter Kenzie Aries is an outstanding high school volleyball player. But she does not always make coaches’ heads turn. So when Aries decided she wanted to be recruited to play in college, she found a way to make coaches take notice: She constructed a Web site about herself. Instead of writing letters and sending game tapes, the three-
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