Spring Break
The Daily OrangeWilliams plays following death in family
By Tony Olivero
Posted: 10/15/09, 3:07 AM EST Section: Sports
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The loss brought about an amplified feeling of homesickness for the first-year player that most other freshmen wouldn't even fathom contemplating. All season long, Williams knew that her best opportunity to play during the regular season would come against Georgetown last Friday. Ange Bradley, SU's head coach, said so in a team meeting. But her grandmother's service was in Ohio that Saturday.
After talking with family members and getting advice from teammates and coaches, Williams decided to stay for both the Georgetown and Dartmouth games last weekend - holding on to the hope that after 12 games she would finally be able to play.
In her 565th minute standing on the sidelines, her name was finally called. She was in, on the field, mouthpiece between her teeth, stick grazing the ground, as she defended for the Orange. It was a liberating discharge from all that she had been through.
When she ran on the field, Williams realized it was a moment she had worked for all of her life - an experience she knew her grandmother would be proud of.
"I thought finally things were, you know, falling into place," Williams said with tears in her eyes after practice Tuesday. "It was really hard actually for me because I was really close with my grandmother. I really wanted to be there for her. I have been working so hard for this, and I know that she would have been really happy for me and I know she would have wanted for me to be here."
Up until a week prior to the Georgetown game, after hearing the news of her grandmother's death, Williams intended on going to Ohio to attend a memorial service Saturday, returning in time for the Orange's game against Dartmouth Sunday afternoon.
But Williams couldn't find flights that would enable her to travel to Ohio, ultimately leaving her with the decision to either stay there for the entire weekend or remain with the team in Syracuse.
"I just met with her and told her that she needed to do whatever could make herself happy," Bradley said. "If she goes, I'm completely supportive. If she stays, I'm completely supportive. My biggest thing is that I didn't want her to have any regrets and I wanted her to be able to say goodbye to her grandparent the way she needed to say it."
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Lisa
posted 10/15/09 @ 6:28 PM EST
sad that someone would choose a game over her grandmother's memorial service.
I wonder if this player will see anymore game time this season. I hope so, but it's doubtful. (Continued…)
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