Lady Raiders playing for a cause

Every team has goals for the season, but Houston Academy’s volleyball team has an additional objective this year.

Lady Raider players and coaching staff are competing this year with their hearts focused on a serious part of life — breast cancer.

More than half the team has been affected by it, including one that had a grandmother pass away because of it. One player has a mother and another a close grandmother who have had breast cancer.

To raise awareness of breast cancer, players will wear small pink breast cancer ribbons on their jerseys and wear pink socks, shoes and bracelets during matches this season. In addition, every player has a hat and T-shirt with the breast cancer logo design on it.

“Our whole season is, ‘HA Raiders in pink. It’s not just a color, it’s a cause,’” Houston Academy head coach Hannah Braswell said.

The cause begins today as HA opens the season at Providence Christian. Carroll will also compete in the tri-match.

Junior Leah Gunn, whose grandmother Mary Respress died of breast cancer seven years ago, said playing for the cause is special to her.

“I am real excited about it because my grandmother died of breast cancer and I know that women need to be more aware of it,” Gunn said. “That was why I was so excited when I heard coach was thinking about us doing this. Women really need to be aware of mammograms and breast cancer.”

Other players had similar feelings.

“This is a good way for the community to know that there is a need for donations and support because we have people in our community that have breast cancer,” said freshman Autumn Steffens, who is close to a grandmother diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It is important for the community to know that there are those that can’t afford to get mammograms.”

The players, though, aren’t just wearing stuff to raise awareness. There are plans to raise money for the cause.

“Our team will be active in the breast cancer awareness program in Dothan,” Braswell said. “We plan on walking in any activities they have going on.

“We will have a bucket at the door and at the concession stand if people would like to give a donation. We will also give a percentage of our gate to breast cancer.”

Braswell said a raffle with proceeds going to the breast cancer cause is also in the works.

The idea to play for the breast cancer cause began as a casual conversation in the summer between four or five players and started out as just wearing pink shoes.

It was pitched to the coaches then Braswell opened the suggestion to the entire team, which quickly endorsed it.

Braswell then had to run the idea across Houston Academy girls athletic director Jimmy Addison, who approved it.

“Jimmy Addison and myself both lost somebody at the end of June, Christy Goree, who was a longtime secretary at Dothan High School and a great friend of ours, so when I took the idea to him, he thought it was wonderful,” Braswell said.

The plan quickly grew to wear other pink items and to ideas of how to raise money.

“We all thought it was a good idea and that we should go further with it,” said junior Caitlin Stone, whose mother was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago, but is now in remission.

Gunn and the players also hope their cause will inspire those who are battling breast cancer.

“She (my grandmother) really got me into being strong, showing my strength and being beautiful, which is what she was,” Gunn said. “That is what it is about.

“I think about her all the time and every time I step on the court, I will. This increases those feelings that I feel.

“All women who go through this need to keep going strong and taking care of themselves. That is what this teaches you.”