April 14, 2005
Missy Foote, the head coach of the Middlebury women's lacrosse coach, remembers the date. Jan. 29, 2000. It's Foote's wedding anniversary, but it is also the day that changed the life of Katie Samson.
Samson was the goalie on the 1999 Middlebury national championship who had her body altered by a freak sledding accident, but refused to let it alter her life.
And because Samson has ignored the injury - as much as you can ignore going from an All-American class athlete to being paralyzed from the chest down - Foote loves to talk about her former player.
They still keep in touch, Katie emailing her former coach about her current life, her efforts earning a graduate degree in Art History from Arizona State and playing wheelchair rugby - ominously labeled `murderball.'
"It's unbelievable," said Foote, who seemed quite pleased to talk about her former player despite being in the heat of the lacrosse season. "She's out there versus the guys, and they set picks in their wheelchairs. You should see her arms, she has pipes now! She is having confidence in herself and not allowing herself to use her disability. I'm really proud of her."
Proud, but certainly not surprised. Katie was the person who returned to Middlebury after taking just one semester off after the accident. Katie was the one who would roll out to almost every women's lacrosse practice, her smile, bright eyes and crooked ski cap warming up those cold February practices for her teammates. Katie was the one who quad-skied down the Snow Bowl slopes - a tradition for mid-year graduates of the Vermont college - just three years after the fateful day.
It was this kind of drive and spirit that led friends and community members in her suburban Philadelphia neighborhood to create the Katie Samson Invitational, a jamboree celebrating its fifth year this coming Saturday, featuring top-level boy's and girl's high school teams in the greater Philly area.
The idea of the Invitational was first floated by Dr. Murray Grossman, a friend of the Samson's and the father of one of the many players Peter Samson - Katie's father - coached at the youth level.
It was originally devised as a vehicle to offset the astronomical costs of Katie's care, but it now serves the dual purpose of perhaps finding a cure or advancement in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. In addition to defraying Samson's cost, the tournament has raised over $400,000 to date for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation to support spinal cord injury research and the National Transplant Assistance Fund for patient care.
It's not just about paying the bills. That's because Katie wanted it that way.
"She's embraced it," said Grossman, who is again involved in putting together the Invitational this year. "It started as a short term and immediate issue, but she wanted to make it a long term issue."
"That's typical Katie," said Foote. "She never wants to draw the attention to her in any way."
Although it started out as just a boy's tournament, for the past two years, the Katie Samson Invitations has been coed. And this year, the tournament - which will be held at both the Haverford and Radnor High School's on the outskirts of Philly - will feature a public school versus private school flavor.
"It makes for a friendly rivalry," said Grossman. "All of the kids there understand why this is being done. These are regular games, but there is a higher principle involved."
Although the Katie Sampson Invitational is a grass-roots production at heart, it has signed up some big names to support this year's venture. John LeClair, the Philadelphia Flyer's star forward, and members of the Philadelphia Wings and Philadelphia Barrage have offered their support. In addition, Brine has signed on as a sponsor, and will be hosting a `Fun-Zone,' featuring a rock wall, moonbounce, giant slide and raffle prizes.
And of course, most importantly, Katie will be on hand to meet and greet the crowd, which is expected to top 3,000, according to Grossman.
"She's been incredible, she's an inspiration," said Grossman.
This Saturday, April 16. That's a date you want to remember.
For more information and the game schedule for the Katie Samson Invitational, please visit the event's website at katiesamsonlaxfest.com.
***
Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., was on hand for the coin flip at Tuesday evening's boy's lacrosse game between Archbishop Spalding and St. Mary's to help Spalding's efforts to combat the disease myositis.
All of the gate receipts and money taken in from the game was slated to be donated to research to find a cure for the disease.
Myositis, a debilitating inflammation of muscle tissue, forced the retirement of long-time Maryland men's coach Dick Edell.
***
On May 6, the Noble & Greenough School, located in Dedham, Mass., and a member of the Independent School League, will be hosting a golf tournament to raise money for the Andrew T. Colligan Memorial Scholarship.
Colligan, a lacrosse player at Nobles who went on to be a captain of the Colby College men's lacrosse team (along with fellow captain Billy Bush, now of `Access Hollywood' fame), died on Jan. 2, 2002, of a brain aneurysm while coaching a Charlestown (Mass.) Youth Hockey game.
Through the efforts of Colligan's high school and college friends, over $80,000 has been raised for the scholarship, and the organizers hope to add $20,000 at the tournament to make the scholarship self-subsistent.
The scholarship will be awarded to a hockey and/or lacrosse player, often from the South Shore, who displayed the many characteristics Andy showed in his life.
Past High School Notebooks:
Opening Up Texas' Private Club
Life In The MIAA
Rocky Mountain High (School Action)
Cali Shows Its Stuff at First 4
Noting The Northeast
Living Well In The Sunshine State
Have an idea or comment for the Thursday High School Notebook? Email Jac Coyne.
