Averi Williams is a second-year Data Science and Environmental Studies major on the women’s soccer team. Last week, the team hosted Leukemia Awareness Night during their match against Muskingum University to support Williams after her recent diagnosis.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What did Leukemia Awareness Night mean to you personally, and how did the team prepare?
It was really special for me because it was really jarring with the diagnosis, especially since it came out of nowhere. It was really special to know that a lot of my favorite people in my life were always there for me. Obviously, I know that they’re always there for me, but it just felt so nice to have a specific night where we all acknowledged it. Part of the shock of it is not being able to process it. It was definitely nice to be able to take that moment with my best friends and feel nothing but love and support.
In the same vein, how did it feel to be honored in front of a home crowd?
It was a little overwhelming, but it was, again, super special to see everyone there in the shirts that we had. Those were all for a fundraiser for the Leukemia Research Foundation. So, it was really cool to see so many people supporting the cause. I’ll see people I don’t know wearing the shirts every day on campus, and it’s really special that not only are they supporting me by wearing that shirt, but also supporting the whole of the Leukemia Research Foundation.
What kind of support have you been receiving from your coaches and teammates after the diagnosis?
Everyone’s shown me an insane amount of kindness, which is amazing. A lot of people that I hadn’t really spoken to have reached out or just checked in on me, and it’s nice to feel cared about, especially since it’s an uncertain time. But it’s really nice to be a part of a bigger community outside of my team. There’s been an overwhelming surge of love, support, and kindness.
Did anything about the night change your preparation for the game?
I think we all really wanted to win, and I scored my first career goal against Muskingum last year, so it was kind of sentimental to be playing them on that night specifically. Going into it, obviously I wanted the team to play for each other. But the team wanted to play for me. And since I couldn’t be out there, a lot of them wore orange bows or orange pre-wrap, which really does mean a lot to me, because that’s the color for leukemia awareness. The mentality was “do it for the people who can’t,” so not even just me, but the other people on injury reserves for the season or people who were out for the game. So, it was a really big team ordeal.
Do you remember what was going through your head when Molly scored the first goal, and did that give the team some momentum to start things off?
I think so, yeah. I was so proud of her because that was her first career goal, and it was on our home turf. It was a game for a good cause, and everyone on the bench was so happy for her. It was just really cool to see a first-year bringing all the energy to the team, especially when we struggled to score for a little while. And I feel like that kind of set the tone for what we’ve been doing recently.
Then Muskingum scored right before halftime. How did you and the team keep morale up before the break?
We talked about how we had such good energy and ball movement and just general play toward the beginning of the half and throughout it. And we reminded them that even if you’re on the field and you’re tired or exhausted, you should be giving a hundred percent for the people who aren’t out there, whether they’re on the bench and able to play or whether they can’t play. And so I feel like that lit a fire in everyone and sealed the rest of the game.
How did it feel to get the team’s first win of the season under these circumstances?
It was amazing. Obviously, we played a good game regardless of the cause, but it was also amazing just because it was such a special night and we had such a great turnout, and with the outcome for our fundraiser it was really nice to get that win. It was even better under those circumstances because a lot of us had family there, and my family came out. It was really good for the team’s morale in general, too. I think having it on Leukemia Awareness Night really helped us feel like we wanted that feeling to keep going.
What did you hear from fans, family, and teammates after the game? Did any particular message sort of stick with you?
No message in particular, but, again, there was a lot of love from all of the coaches and people within athletics — from my friends on the team, on other teams, and outside of athletics. And it was a really emotional night knowing that I have such an amazing community around me and so many people who are looking out for me. It was a great way to unite the community and come together.
Has your journey with leukemia shaped you as a leader on the team?
I think I definitely put a lot into last season when I was training. I really wanted to make All-Conference again and to make sure that I was a leader on and off the field. Getting the news that I probably wouldn’t be playing this season and ultimately deciding only a week or so ago that I won’t be playing this season at all made me reevaluate my role off of the field.
I still think I can lead from the bench, whether it’s trying to help my teammates who are in the same position as me, talking to our coaches trying to figure out what’s best for the team, or being a cheerleader on the sidelines. I think I’ve lost my voice at every game. I can put out so much more for my team because they’ve been there for me. At the end of the day, I want nothing but the best for all of them. So it’s definitely made me a better teammate in the sense that I can be there for everyone more than I was when I was on the field, but it’s definitely been a hard adjustment at times.
