Zizzer’s Sportsmanship

An excellent story to brighten your day. I’ll let Coach Nick Schmitt tell it:

Last week (first week of April) several Senior boys including Nick Dryden and fellow soccer players Matt Saner, Clay Trautman, and Anthony Jones had their heads shaved before school. They agreed to shave their heads if the High School raised $2500 for a former Zizzer Girls Basketball, cross country and track standout, Mindy Lahey – Hughston. Mindy graduated last May and has since been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She is married and has a young baby and has nowbeen diagnosed with cancer.

To try to help out, the senior boys agreed to shave their heads if a fund-raising goal was met. Over $2600 was raised and the boys had their heads shaved Friday before school as many students and staff watched. As it was happening, Matt Saner, who had a large amount of hair announced that if people came up with another $250 on the spot he would shave his hair as well. The money poured in and he is now bald too.

Many of these (I think 14 in all) young men are athletes who are now going out and competing with no hair. This is to symbolize what Mindy will go through as she will probably lose her hair with chemotherapy treatments. These are not just soccer players, as Tennis, baseball, basketball, and football players were represented in the group.

What they did may not seem like a big deal to some, but to me it showed compassion, courage, initiative, and leadership. Many things that we hope students learn from athletics. The kids did this on their own, with the support of the administration.
In all, over $3000 was raised to help Mindy and her family.