Over seven million people annually succumb to cancer worldwide. In 1986 the Lady Dons girls’ soccer team lost a member of their family to the deadly disease. The day after their beloved coach’s passing, Coach Dawn Lee, the current head coach of the team, had to break the news to the girls that her father, Coach Butch Lee, was gone.
Sitting in a circle on the field, the issue of practice far from their minds, the family was not alone. As soon as Dawn broke the news to the girls that her father had lost his battle to brain cancer, swarms of ladybugs began to land on the players.
While traditionally known for their affiliation with the Virgin Mary, joy, and sorrow, ladybugs’ short life-cycles are representative of the notion that individuals should be living their lives to the fullest.
As the tiny polka-dotted insects made a second appearance at Butch Lee’s memorial service, however, and a myriad of other important games over the years, ladybugs began to be associated with a new meaning: Butch Lee’s spirit.
“We feel that it is just my dad checking in on us to let us know he is watching,” said Coach Dawn Lee.
Butch Lee first made his mark on Lady Dons soccer in 1986, nearly thirty years ago, when he began to lead a team of talented players to many early successes. Eventually, after repeated tough championship losses against the dominant San Pasqual girls, who had eight straight CIF wins during Coach Dawn Lee’s high school career, the Lady Dons scored their first CIF Championship under Butch Lee’s guidance in 1991.
In his thirteen years of coaching, Butch Lee racked up a total of 243 wins and 10 Western League Championships, all the while setting various Western League and CIF records. He also sent many players off to play college soccer and achieved an unprecedented record of eight consecutive CIF Championships.
In the time since that fateful day, December 20th, 1998, Coach Dawn Lee has continued the legacy that her father started and added on to his record, garnering 11 more Western League Championship titles, 11 more CIF Championship titles, and two CIF SoCAL Championship titles.
“I feel very fortunate that my Dad built a terrific program before me and that I have been able to sustain it. I’ve been lucky to have some terrific student athletes that just happen to be awesome soccer players…It has been a fun ride that I am very fortunate to be a part of,” said Coach Dawn Lee.
“What’s great about it is that it is a family thing,” added Junior Paige Haley, one of the team’s newest additions. “I think it’s unique how Dawn has coached for 16 years and, before her, her dad coached.”
After spending five days a week every week since November with one another, Paige, along with the other girls on the team and their coaches, all attest to the notion that there is a good chemistry among team members.
As Junior Riley Marshall, another newcomer to the team said, “We have fun on and off the field and always pick each other up. We are sisters!” She continued on to explain how wonderful the coaches are and how much experience they all maintain-experience that extends back to her father’s career at Uni. In fact, both of the head coaches are Uni alums who are known for their knowledge of the game and their leadership. “They have really helped me develop my skills,” said Riley, skills that are necessary to get on the team.
Of the 70 girls who fought for a spot on this season’s roster, only 21 girls were chosen to be on the girls’ varsity team. Of the 21 girls, 8 are seniors, 6 are juniors, and 7 are sophomores. Each girl is expected to be able to make quick decisions in tight spaces, maintain good fitness, and be confident on the ball.
In order to meet the coaches’ standards and prepare for each season, pre-season conditioning is always offered to anyone who would want to participate. Some girls however, like Riley Marshall, decided to take things one step further. Not only did Riley utilize the pre-season conditioning that was put on by the varsity veterans, but she also worked with some of the on-campus coaches doing weights and running stairs.
“I spent a lot of hours training at my house at a nearby field just practicing my skills and constantly going on runs around my neighborhood to prepare myself for tryouts…Knowing I’m on such a strong team who won CIF and State last year really pushes me to work harder,” said Riley.
Despite the hard work that is expected of team members, Riley loves playing with the rest of the girls because they always challenge her to become a better player. “Even without the seven really good seniors we had on the team last year, we still have a lot of solid new players and a good group of girls. I think that this year will be a really great year for us.”
Paige reiterated all of the team’s eagerness to see how they do throughout every tournament they partake in and eventually the rest of the season. “We plan to defend our title as CIF and State Champions.”
Dawn also said, “Overall, I think my father would tell me that he is proud of both my brother and me and what we’ve accomplished in our lives thus far. I’d also think that he’d tell me that I am doing a good job, to keep it up, and to continue to coach from the heart…not to worry about the wins and losses.”
With the constant presence of ladybugs at games, perhaps the team does not need to worry about wins and losses after all.
“If my dad were here now, I’d hug him first for a really long time and tell him how much I miss him and love him! But man, there are so many things that I would say to him…we would have a lot of games to talk about and analyze,” said Dawn, laughing. “I would probably ask him what memory of my coaching thus far has been his favorite and ask him if there is anything I should be doing better.”
Information shown in the article was gathered from interviews and research conducted via the websites below:
http://butchleememorial.com/history/
http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Love-Ladybugs/141399
http://www.ask.com/question/what-does-a-ladybug-symbolize
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/resources/features/WorldCancerDay/
