Missouri Basketball Teams Join Cancer Fight

By Jennifer Searcy

Several girls basketball teams in Missouri traded in their school colors for a week to unite under one color - pink.

During the week of February 11, the teams of Central, Glendale, Hillcrest, Kickapoo and Parkview high schools in Springfield, and others, donned pink game-day T-shirts to raise awareness for the "Think Pink" initiative. "Think Pink" is a national effort sponsored by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.


For these Missouri schools, however, the initiative hit close to home.

Kickapoo coach Stephanie Phillips was diagnosed with colon cancer in August, and has helped lead the effort.

"When I contacted the other coaches in the area, they were all very interested in being involved," Phillips said. "We wanted to be a part of helping fund efforts to fund a cure as well as raise awareness in our community."

The schools donated the proceeds from the T-shirt sales to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, established for North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow, who is also battling breast cancer for the third time.

More importantly, the shirts stressed the importance of the continued fight against cancer. With the slogan "Hand Checks Allowed," the shirts made a humorous allusion to such a serious subject.
Locally, the Stephanie Phillips Foundation was created to help financially support the Phillips' family through her treatment, as well as other families fighting cancer. Currently, the Foundation has raised $19,000.

"The feeling that I get when I'm able to help others is priceless," Phillips said.

Phillips is grateful to her team and her community for their support through her tough battles.

"My team has been incredible," Phillips said. "They were very understanding on the days that I wasn't feeling my best, but they still gave their best. They would send me motivational notes and cards to keep me going. They would always ask how I was feeling and check to see if there was anything they could do. They're a great group of kids and their parents have been incredible too."

Phillips said many members of the community have sent cards, e-mails and phone calls offering their support and prayers. Many have also helped the Phillips family by bringing meals and babysitting its two boys.

"All the support has been completely overwhelming and very humbling," Phillips said.

The fight continues for Phillips, who said her children and her team are her inspiration to fight.

"My two little boys are all I need to keep fighting," Phillips said. "They are precious gifts from God and I couldn't ask for anything more special. I also know that my team and many people in the community are watching to see how I handle everything. I want to be a good example to them so that they will keep fighting when they face adversity."

Jennifer Searcy is a spring intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department. She is a junior at Franklin (Indiana) College majoring in journalism news editorial and public relations.