As coach's daughter battles cancer, Metamora basketball is inspired by something bigger
METAMORA — Always wearing a stern demeanor, Danny Grieves patrols the sidelines, barking out instructions to his Metamora players.
The Redbirds coach all season has preached to his team about the challenges they will face following last season’s Class 3A runner-up finish. Grieves’ mind, however, can’t help but wander to Senatobia, Mississippi, where his daughter, Nike Tyson, is facing her most immense adversity yet — a fight for her life.
Tyson, 37, was diagnosed with breast cancer on Aug. 30. The stage 3 invasive micropapillary carcinoma has spread to her lymph nodes and was confirmed by multiple biopsies. Her treatment began in early October, requiring six rounds of chemotherapy over 18 weeks.
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“Our team has kind of adopted her,” Grieves said, attempting to hold back the emotions of the situation. “I couldn’t be more proud of our kids embracing that situation.”
Metamora wears black shooting shirts with #TYSONTOUGH written on the back before every game, while the program sports bracelets to honor Tyson and her fight. The Feb. 1 home game against Pekin will be Tyson Tough Night, which will donate a portion of the fundraising efforts to offset the family’s medical and travel expenses.
A community has taken the Grieves family under its wing and helped in every way possible.
“It’s really motivation for us,” Metamora junior Tyler Mason said. “… We’re all just rallying around her and trying to win this for her, for him.”
A trip to Mississippi
After Christmas, Metamora went down to Gulfport, Miss. for a tournament and gave its coach a homecoming in the process. There, the whole Grieves family was reunited for the first time in what seemed like forever.
The Redbirds won the tournament in front of Tyson, who now more than ever is a big Metamora fan.
“She’s ecstatic,” Grieves said, noting she doesn’t miss streaming a game.
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Given the severity of what’s at play here, the 12-year coach has remained steadfast in his dedication to getting the most out of his second-ranked squad. He doesn’t want his players worrying about what he’s going through.
On the surface, Grieves would seem like that same tough coach everyone has grown accustomed to talking to or even observing, according to assistant coach Justin Dehm.
“Nobody else sees what he’s going through,” he said. “You wouldn’t know there’s anything wrong. He just takes a lot of it.”
Dehm says helping raise breast cancer awareness has proven to bring a greater purpose to the players’ lives.
Basketball, though, has provided an escape. Winning 17 games in a row and playing as good as Metamora ever has certainly helps.
“Anything we can do to try to take some stress off them,” Dehm said, “and give some positivity to the family.”
Kim Grieves, a Metamora PE teacher like her husband, has taken a leave of absence to help with her grandchildren, ranging in age from five months to fifth grade, as well as Tyson. This has left the couple — married for over 40 years — apart longer than they have ever been.
But Grieves is doing his best to keep his team focused and teach them a simple lesson along the way:
“There’s going to be challenges in your life,” he said, “you just got to take them head on and anything you that don’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s kind of what happened for us this year.”
For more information or to find out ways to donate, visit the Metamora boys basketball Twitter account at www.twitter.com/MetamoraBBB.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Metamora basketball inspired as coach's daughter battles cancer
