Basketball Star Loses Mother, Still Finds Family On The Court
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Calvin Green's a star on his Armstrong traveling basketball team, a cheerleader for all the players in his league, and now dealing with a heartbreaking loss.
"It's just a whole family, it's wonderful," said Margaret Moczyski, a parent who has known Green since he was a small child.
The team all wears pink socks, and when you inquire, you learn there's something deeper going on.
Green is this team's -- this family's -- cheerleader.
"Basketball was one of the ways he dealt with her sickness," Mathew Moczyski said.
But now, Green's missing the person who always rallied around him.
"She didn't miss not one game," Green said.
Green calls his mother his No. 1 fan. But he and his teammates are getting a hard lesson that the game of life isn't always easy.
"Part of the reason Calvin is so wonderful is because of his mother, who just passed away," Margaret said.
On Tuesday, Green's mom, Nicole Moore, died of breast cancer. She was only 31. Without her, the team is stepping in.
"He'll be OK," Margaret said. "We surround him and we'll take care of him. Calvin is in my heart. He's in all our hearts."
On Wednesday night, the Armstrong High School basketball coach and captains came to practice to ask Green to be a special guest on Friday's senior night.
One of the captains also lost his mom before this season, and they plan to act as an extended family for Green.
Green's closest family lives in California, and said he wants to stay here.
The Moczyki's are helping through the transition and if the family agrees, Green could live with them.
If you want to help out Green, a fund has been set up at Wings Financial, and you can make a donation by specifying it's for the benefit of Calvin Green.
