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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
On a mission
Greater Louisville, KY
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By: Betty Coffman
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Photo(s) By: Michelle Jacobsen
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Krista Phillips is a dual-sport athlete, but saving lives and setting a good example are the loftier goals she has set for herself…and her team.
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“People start to look to you for it. It’s not just about softball, it’s about helping people save lives.”
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Pleasure Ridge Park senior Krista Phillips has more on her agenda than just winning softball games.
Krista, who plays second base for the PRP softball team and is shortstop for the Ohio Valley Thunderstixx fast-pitch softball club, also plays golf and is a leader in her Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization at PRP.
As a member of the Thunderstixx, Krista is involved in raising money and awareness for breast cancer survivors. (See “The Breast Cancer Team” opposite.) Part of the team’s mission is to support the Southwest Breast Cancer Awareness Group. The Thunderstixx girls also work to develop the skills of younger players, offering free clinics to little league players and mentoring the younger kids.
As part of her involvement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Krista organized a prayer walk one recent Sunday morning that drew 124 students. Krista sees her FCA activity, as well as her work with the breast cancer survivors, as part of something bigger than her sport. She says this community involvement makes her sports experience more meaningful. “People start to look to you for it. It’s not just about softball, it’s about helping people save lives,” she says.
Krista has signed a letter of intent to play both softball and golf at Hanover College in Indiana. She knows it won’t be easy to play two sports and complete her education. “I know it’s going to be hard, but with God all things are possible,” says Krista. “God has a plan for me and I know that if I continue doing what I’m doing there’s always time for each of it. I have to make sure that God comes first.”
Which sport does she like better?
“I like softball the best because I’ve played it longer. But I like golf because it’s relaxing.”
In addition to a significant scholarship to Hanover, Krista has received the “Unsung Hero Scholarship Award” for community service work from the Women’s Rotary Club. Plus, she is a finalist for the Presbyterian scholarship fund for 2008.
As a senior, Krista appreciates the opportunity to be a leader for her team. “I like being able to lead my team and step up when needed to get things done and to be a positive influence.”
“I can come out here and play softball, but in the end that’s not the most important thing in life. The most important thing is to be with my teammates. To show them what my faith is about without telling them about it and for them to see me during school with my FCA group. I’m not going to say I’m perfect and then go to a party with them the next day. I’m not going to do that.”
QUOTE OUT
“People start to look to you for it. It’s not just about softball, it’s about helping people save lives.”
SIDEBAR>Ohio Valley Thunderstixx – The Breast Cancer Team
Make no mistake, the Thunderstixx are a force to be reckoned with on the field: The team, which consists of players from all around Kentuckiana, plays in four states, and seven girls from this year’s 18U group have signed to play softball in college.
But this AAU fast-pitch softball club for girls has another dimension—saving lives.
Two and a half years ago, Mike Nalley and Jim Phillips started the club, and a year later, the club took on another mission.
“I’ve been coaching for 17 years, and that’s all fun and dandy, but I wanted to be an advocate for girls to help them get more out of it,” says Jim. That’s why they decided to make part of their club’s purpose to assist breast cancer survivors. To do that, the club has developed a partnership with Southwest Breast Cancer Awareness Group.
“The girls all pitch in and are interested in doing community service. They don’t have to be the best athletes, but they do have to buy into the program and want to do it,” says Jim.
It started when the club helped with a golf scramble to raise money for the Southwest Breast Cancer Awareness Group. That group’s work includes printing and distributing informational brochures, helping cancer patients with their medical bills and transportation, and caring for individual patients in any way they can.
From there, the team and the organization created a partnership. The team helps fundraise for the organization and raise awareness for breast cancer, passing out literature and pink ribbon pins at their tournaments. In return, the organization provides the pink uniforms and pink equipment bags. By wearing breast cancer pink uniforms, the team is creating awareness for the cause.
Debbie Basham, the director of Southwest Breast Cancer Awareness Group, says the girls are a great spokespeople for the organization. “We are delighted to have every one of them. They are excited about their future. They love doing the work. They have been so faithful to our organization. It’s such a perfect fit.”
The team, known as ‘the breast cancer team,’ was invited to participate in “Think Pink” at a women’s basketball game at Bellarmine University in February. The event is promoted nationwide by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association to raise breast cancer awareness among basketball teams and fans. The Thunderstixx participated in a half-time presentation for breast cancer survivors in attendance. They read a prayer and created the “pink body ribbon” with their pink uniforms.
Krista Phillips, Jim’s daughter, takes inspiration for promoting breast cancer awareness from her aunt, who was diagnosed with the disease at age 86. “She decided to go ahead with the chemotherapy and she fought it off,” says Krista. “Everybody’s been affected by it. We got involved with the fundraiser and the golf scramble and we got the idea to do the pink uniforms and it blew up from there.”
For more information on the Ohio Valley Thunderstixx 14U, 16U and 18U teams and their mission to raise awareness for breast cancer, go to www.Teamthunderstixx.com.
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