A Match to Defeat Cancer
Last year the annual Horicon-Mayville Flyway Conference volleyball match turned into more than just a rivalry between neighboring schools, it was a life and death battle -- a battle against cancer. Anytime these two schools compete against each other, no matter what the sport, there is the additional excitement of that local competition.
Horicon High School volleyball coach Ruth Leitzke was looking over the schedule last year and saw an opportunity to make a unique difference in not only the lives of her players, but on a larger scale. She organized the Marsh Match Against Cancer, which would raise money for the Side-Out Foundation and culminate with the Horicon-Mayville volleyball game.
"Honestly - it all started in mid-summer when we got a wrong shipment of pink volleyball shoes at our store in Hustisford," Ruth explained. "My son, (then assistant coach, now head coach at Horicon) said, 'We should make our team wear them all season and then donate the proceeds to charity.' I laughed at him, but later got an e-mail regarding the Dig Pink Organization."
Dig Pink is a Breast Cancer Awareness Rally started by the Side-Out Foundation. It is held in the fall to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The goal of the Side-Out Foundation is that every year they want to make a statement by holding hundreds, potentially thousands, of featured high school and college matches across the country to help educate and raise funds to eradicate this terrible disease. Proceeds will go towards doing something significant and identifiable in the fight against breast cancer.
"It is in my opinion the job of coaches and educators is to do more than stress winning, and more than just "homework" type of things," Ruth continued, "we are responsible to teach life lessons -- there was a winning team and a losing team that night as far as the conference record book is concerned -- but there were no losers."
The match took on a very personal note when Ruth contacted the family of Wendy Schwartz to see if this October 16 match could be held in her memory. The Schwartz family is well-known in the area for their commitment and support of high school athletics. Wendy was a track coach at Horicon High School and helped with the cross-country program. After an almost four-year battle Wendy succumbed to the spindle cell sarcoma cancer that she had been valiantly fighting. Her memory lives on in the Horicon High School gymnasium in the form of the wireless scoreboards that were donated in her name, along with a quote from Wendy, "Strength comes from the heart."
"It was really fun to bring both teams together, to not only play against each other, but to fight for one cause instead of each other," said Beth Borchardt, the volleyball coach at Mayville last year and a daughter of Wendy Schwartz. "We were so excited about the fundraiser. If it meant saving one person's life, it was totally worth it."
The Marsh Match also had its share of sibling rivalry, with sisters Beth Borchardt, the Mayville volleyball coach and Brianna Schwartz, a senior volleyball player for Horicon High School on rival teams. Both are daughters of Wendy Schwartz, so it was a bittersweet rivalry.
"There was a mix of emotions," Brianna said. "I was sad, but happy people were coming out to support it. As my last year, it meant a lot to me and my whole family. There was a friendly competition with my sister, and that puts a little more pressure on."
In September of 2002, Wendy Schwartz, an avid athlete, wife to Mike, and mother of three children, felt a strange lump in her lower abdomen. Tests came back in January of 2003 with a diagnosis of spindle cell sarcoma. Wendy went through numerous surgeries, chemotherapy, and additional traditional and non-traditional treatments all in order to fight back against the cancer. Her daughters remember her strength through all of this, and Wendy even ran in a half-marathon two months after completing chemotherapy.
"She fought so hard," Beth said. "Our mom was so strong, she was in pain, but she wouldn't dwell on that. She was always there for all of us at the games and sporting events – I don't remember her ever missing a game until that last year when she just couldn't."
Wendy passed away in January of 2006 during one last surgery, which she was determined would finally beat the cancer.
The Mash Match Against Cancer was a way to illustrate just how prevalent the disease of cancer has become and that it affects so many people, even in small communities like Horicon and Mayville. For the match, the varsity players each wrote stories about how cancer has impacted their own lives. Beth said the bleachers were a sea of pink that night, she remembers looking around and feeling the support of all those people in the gym.
"I asked the girls on the varsity team if they knew someone, a friend, family member, someone who has or is undergoing treatment for cancer and every single player raised their hand," Beth said. "It just goes to show how many people are affected by it and how much we want cancer eliminated."
The plans for the match came together quickly – within a matter of a month. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association (WIAA) was contacted for approval to use the pink and white volleyballs. Local sponsors contributed money for uniforms, shirts, prizes and other fundraisers. There were t-shirt sales, bake sales, 50/50 raffle, and raffles for the two game balls, one signed by the Horicon team and the other from the Mayville team. The winner of the Horicon ball gave it to Brianna as a keepsake of the event. The initial goal was to raise $1,500 to give to the Side-Out Foundation, but after all the proceeds were tallied, just over $3,000 was brought in for this fight against cancer.
"I guess the biggest thing for me is this had a 'pink' theme last year -- but it was really about beating every cancer," Ruth said. "We had announcements each day of the week at school educating the kids on all kinds of cancer -- we wanted it to be more than just a match where people wore pink."
According to the Side-Out Foundation, the term "Side-Out" in volleyball occurs when one team wins a point while its opponent is serving, thereby regaining serve or control of play. Likewise in the war against breast cancer, the Side-Out Foundation will support health care professionals in their pursuit of practical solutions for women and men with this dreaded disease thus enabling those affected to regain control of their lives and living them to the fullest.
"We got the refs involved," Ruth said. "They were more than willing to wear special shirts that said, 'Blowing the whistle against cancer.' Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer and everyone wants to find a cure -- the stands were filled with people in pink-- it was very inspiring. I am a cancer survivor as is my father and a sister-in-law, so it was very special."
Horicon won the match last year with games of: 25-15, 25-19, and 25-19. This year the Marsh Match Against Cancer was held on September 10, with Mayville hosting the event, and while Beth is not coaching this year, she has been involved in supporting the event.
"Really, I believe it exceeded my expectations," Ruth said. "But I have to say I felt very similar that day as I did the day of my daughter's wedding -- you want it to all come off without a hitch -- a lot of nervous positive energy I guess is the best way to describe it."
Beth coached three years at Mayville, along with other coaching positions over the years. Beth and her husband, Ryan, have two children. Brianna is attending school at Winona State University, playing softball and majoring in physical education with coaching as a minor. Beth commented that she looks forward to coaching together with her sister sometime in the future. Their brother, Ben, lives with his wife and children north of Fond du Lac. The entire family, including extended family, was there last year at the match, not only to support Brianna and Horicon High School, and Beth and Mayville High School, but the memory of Wendy.
"She was an amazing person all around," Brianna said of her mother. "So giving, so generous, no matter what." Beth added, "She had so much strength and was such a fighter. She never gave up. People fight for things every day, she was fighting for her life and she never gave up. Cancer affects so many people and you might not even know it – but, the support is out there, there are people to talk to. And if we can raise money to find a cure -- to defeat cancer -- which is our main purpose to begin with, it's worth it."
