FIU softball team rallies around coach battling cancer: "We're playing for B"
MIAMI - You wouldn't know it from the smiles and loud laughter, but Florida International University's softball team has faced some tough weeks.
"It was left in a great situation," said FIU Softball Assistant Head Coach Mike Meyers. "The hard part was done. Coach B, the structure he put in and the culture he built, they're for real."
"Coach B" is Head Coach Mike Larabee, who remained with the team throughout the fall despite his cancer diagnosis.
A heartbreaking announcement
On Jan. 18, Larabee had to break the news: His myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, had caught up with him, forcing him to step away for the season.
"It was pretty horrible," said FIU graduate student Bailey Grossenbacher, recalling the moment they found out. "He came out to practice and told us all. We were all shocked because we didn't see it coming that day."
"It was very hard for me, too, because I came in with him. We both arrived at the same time and I've been with him for four years," added FIU senior Brooke McCann. "It's sad that I don't get to have my last year with him."
The emotions were overwhelming.
"We were all giving him hugs at the end of practice and we were all crying," Grossenbacher said. "You could tell he was getting pretty sad, but he kept it together and stayed strong."
A friend stepping in
For Assistant Coach Mike Meyers, stepping in for his dear friend has been an emotional challenge.
"They're tough shoes to fill," Meyers admitted. "I'm not trying to fill them, I know I can't."
Meyers and Larabee have been friends since 1989, making the diagnosis even harder to process.
"You can imagine, it's tough when it affects a good friend like that," Meyers said, holding back tears.
Playing for Coach B
Though Coach B won't always be physically present, his team is making sure his spirit stays with them. They've created special bracelets to wear at every game.
"They have 'PFB' on them, which stands for 'Play for B' or 'Pray for B,' along with the colors red, orange and white, the colors for his cancer awareness," said FIU senior Lindsey Burroughs. "One night, we all gathered in the locker room and made them together."
"It's just something to remind us why we're here and who we're playing for," McCann added.
A special homecoming
While he won't be around as often as they'd like, Coach B is expected to be at their season opener against Indiana on Feb. 6.
"I'm going to feel a sense of relief," Grossenbacher said. "It's like a homey feeling when he shows up to the field, so when I see him walk up, I'm definitely going to be excited."
