Schools

Boys Soccer 'Pretty in Pink' to Kick Out Cancer Friday

Coach Patrick Mulligan reflects on the day his mother had a mastectomy while his team was playing in the second round of the state tournament.

Two years ago, the Avon High School varsity boys soccer team lost to Brookfield in the second round of the state tournament, but coach Patrick Mulligan had bigger concerns that day.

“It was a very frustrating and disappointing loss, but in retrospect it’s just a soccer game,” Mulligan said.

To put it in perspective, his mother, Roberta was having a mastectomy that November day, 23 years after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer and two years after the cancer resurfaced.

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“It was hardest on my dad,” said Mulligan, who was in college during his mother’s early stages of breast cancer. His siblings were also out of the house.

Roberta is not the type of person to let anything kick her down and she was the one encouraging her loved ones to keep their spirits up as she battled the cancer.

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“My mom’s a tough chick because she actually made my father come to the game,” Mulligan said. “She was like, ‘what are you going to do? Hang around the hospital all day? Go to the game! Come back afterward.’ That’s just kind of my mom’s mentality.”

In fact, Roberta has kicked out the cancer and has been clear of it for two years.

Now Mulligan and his players, in collaboration with the girls soccer program, are kicking out cancer in their own way, Pink Out style. The varsity team will face Canton under the lights at Avon High School at 7 p.m. on Friday, following the Avon-Canton junior varsity game at 4:30 p.m. And you’d better believe the boys are wearing pink.

“That was actually their idea…. One of the guys said, ‘why don’t we get pink uniforms?’ Mulligan said. “They’re all excited about wearing it. Everybody is pretty in pink this year.“

In addition to collecting donations for the American Cancer Society and selling select “Kicking Out Cancer” long sleeve shirts that the girls team ordered, the boys are raffling off pink game balls. The varsity players will autograph the three balls after the night game.

“I think just raising the awareness is the important thing for them and realizing that what they are doing is a positive thing,” Mulligan said.

The game is taking place during Avon’s spirit week, a day before Avon’s Homecoming football game.


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