Pink hair and pink shirts will stick out amongst the usual orange and blue tonight at Pressly Stadium.
Florida will host Auburn in the fourth annual Kicking for the Cure Match, benefiting breast cancer awareness, and the Gators will take the field wearing pink shirts for warm-ups.
However, for many team members, the night has a more significant meaning than simply taking the field in a different colored shirt.
“Almost every person on our team in some way, whether it is a friend of the family or family directly, somebody they know has been affected by cancer,” coach Becky Burleigh said.
“This is just an opportunity for us to promote that awareness and to feel blessed that we have our opportunities.”
Breast cancer is an issue that hits home for Burleigh, whose mother, Nancy, is a survivor.
Burleigh said she values having the opportunity to promote awareness of any cancer, as her mother has suffered from the disease in three other forms, including stomach cancer.
While Burleigh has always been at her mother’s side throughout all of her health issues, Nancy has never allowed it to affect the coach on the job.
“My mom makes that easy because she doesn’t require a lot of attention,” Burleigh said.
“She just enjoys any support that we give her. She doesn’t like to make a big deal out of herself in that situation.”
Whether it is through visiting the hospital or talking to her on the phone, Burleigh said she tries to keep in touch with her mother every day. She says that her father, Ron, has played a huge role in the management of Nancy’s health, and the results have shown.
“You would never see any limitations in her,” Becky said. “You would just see how she has been so positive through all of this.”
The importance of raising cancer awareness is not something that is lost on Becky’s players, either.
“It’s obviously something that means a lot to her,” outside back Kat Williamson said. “And it means a lot to us as a team for her to be our coach to represent that and create awareness about it.”
Last summer, Williamson helped honor her mom’s best friend, who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, when Williamson took part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Dallas.
The race is the world’s largest fundraising event for breast cancer, with more than 100 races worldwide annually.
“It was really inspiring just to see all those women out there and it’s just crazy to see how many people support the cause,” Williamson said.
Sophomore midfielder Taylor Travis is going to great lengths to support the cause tonight, even dying her hair pink.
Travis said the game will have special meaning to her because her grandmother is a two-time breast cancer survivor.
“It is a big deal for us,” she said. “Not even just me. In general, we understand how important it is, and we just want to get it out there more.”
