Whitehead’s Impact Ever-Present at Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest Field Hockey program has celebrated the life of Maria Whitehead and raised money for melanoma research each of the last 10 years through an annual spikeball tournament.

Whitehead lost her fight with the diseason in 2006. She was just 25-years old.

As the world responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with social distancing, the fundraising and educational event, which was scheduled April 19, had to be cancelled.

"We want to bring together people from our community and grow an awareness about melanoma in a fun, organic environment," Averill said about the annual event. "To not have that event this spring takes an emotional toll. Any time I can celebrate that great young woman is a great day."

In lieu of the event this year, Averill wants to assist in helping local communities and those in the field hockey realm who are struggling because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

"We're going to try to find some other way to celebrate her," Wake Forest field hockey coach Jen Averilll said. "My seniors asked if we could still do the fundraiser. We thought about what Maria would want, and that's what her classmates asked. She would want us to be the best version of ourselves in this particular situation.

"So is the best version of yourself raising money for melanoma or instead raising money for people in the field hockey community who need assistance? How do we as a family come together right now and act like a family would act."

The spikeball tournament brought the campus together during a period that could often be stressful to the entire student body at Wake Forest, and gave the field hockey team a great purpose.

"When they're in the community, they're like motivated entrepreneurs to conduct a small venue event on campus that gives fellow students a chance to come together to celebrate, eat some food and take part in the spikeball tournament," Averill said. "It's great to come together right before finals. This is a great time to celebrate each other, and learn some sun-safe behaviors. The more we can educate, the better."

In addition to the tournament, there are free screenings from dermatologists and a chance for cancer survivors to speak about their individual journeys.

"As much as we want the education and celebration pieces to be about Maria, because she is a conduit for us to always be the best version of ourselves," Averill said. "That's why we decided to not have it, but instead to have the focus within our own communities and assisting where we can. That's the message that has come from our team, and that's all the motive you need as a coach to realize that we have some great people in this program.

"It's helped save lives. If we have one person out of 200 people in attendance who has their life saved because of a free screening, that's great. Regardless of the money we're raising for research, if you save someone's life? There's no money value you can put on that."

Whitehead had a prolific field hockey career at Wake Forest, leading the Deacs to three Final Fours and its first national championship in 2002, her senior campaign.

She made quite an initial impression on Averill in their first meeting.

"She was 5-foot-3 and a buck-five on a rainy day, but played like she was 6-foot-5, 210," she said. "She had an infectious attitude.

"She was a devil sometimes, but her heart and intentions were always in the right place. Super contagious attitude. She had a chip on her shoulder in that she believed there was nobody better than her or the team she played for. She was a part of that squad who for the first time in school history beat North Carolina, twice in two weeks."

Whitehead exuded confidence and then backed it up with an intense work ethic that bleed over to her teammates.

"There's no opponent of any surface on any given day that we can't beat," Whitehead told Averill when they first met.

Averill became an immediate believer.

"That's my super strength," the 28-year head coach said. "I can see a kid's soul through their eyes. You see the authenticity too, through the parents. I knew Patti and Bill were blue-collar, hard-working people. I was sure their offspring was going to emulate those traits. Imagine if you have 20 kids on your team echoing that statement, but then backing it up with their dedication. As a coach, you're immediately empowered. We're going places. She was incredibly motivating. Her habits and behaviors set her apart."

After the initial recruiting meeting with Whitehead, Averill dug more into the young prospect. Over and over, Averill was told Whitehead was a little version of herself, which at times actually led to conflict.

"That's when the fun gets going," Averill said. "You learn about yourself as a coach and the kid learns about herself. The conflict, as long as it's channeled in a positive direction, is so powerful. It's not about the fight, it's about her having the guts to fight. She had the attitude to display, and she had the courage and vulnerability to fight those battles, to speak so forward and to carry those actions.

"She was an unbelievable loving spirit and I can't wrap my head around why she was taken so young."

Wake Forest Athletics

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