Katherine Senseman
This week, the HSE Girls tennis team was supposed to have their Mudsock match up with Fishers on April 29th but due to weather the match was rained out and rescheduled for May 6th.
However, either way this match is different from the others. It will still have the competitive energy and the usual exciting action that always is present in any of the Mudsock match ups but the meaning for this match goes a lot deeper. Instead of seeing the distinct color of royal blue, there will be a hue of pink connecting these two rivaling teams. Pink is the specific ribbon color for breast cancer.
Another reason this is special is because of the organization that the tennis team is representing, Smash Cancer. Smash Cancer is a variety of events that strive to raise awareness, donations and funding for cancer research. They also provide free screenings for all types of cancers. Tennis Tournaments are one of their most popular way of raising money and engagement for cancer.
The tennis team will be in pink gear including their pink smash cancer shirts. The tradition of a pink out is not new to the tennis team or the school as there is always a pink out game included in sporting events schedules that help broaden the cancer awareness, through the large crowds that sporting events bring in.
In addition to playing for smash cancer and to raise awareness the HSE team also has a donations link that they created to take donations for team parents and the community. Due to the changed date for the match the link is staying open for longer. All of the donations collected will be donated to the American Cancer Society to help fund cancer research and patient support.
The match on May 6th will be unlike any that have happened so far because of it being Mudsock but also the passion that comes from playing for such a serious and heartbreaking topic that is cancer. With both teams bringing their all it will be exciting to see if HSE will beat the 22nd state ranked Fishers Tigers and come home with the Mudsock trophy.