ARDEN HILLS, Minn.—Since the age of ten,
Blake Nicols knew he wanted to play college basketball. Upon making that decision his dad, Robert, made the choice to support him in his endeavors no matter the hours, emotions, and cost. 12 years later, Nicols and the Bethel University men's basketball team now have the opportunity to support Robert, who is fighting a daily battle with chemotherapy to combat bone cancer that was found on December 27.
“The day I was to return to campus after the holiday break was the day we were told about my dad's cancer,” commented Blake, a 5-11 senior out of Lakeville, Minn. “Initially, I was numb to the concept of how serious it was, but when it hit me, I was shocked.”
Robert began a chemotherapy treatment just two weeks after being diagnosed, and will continue for six rounds with two or three weeks in between. As the chemotherapy sessions have gone on, his hair started to disappear and he was forced to walk on crutches due to bodily fatigue and weakness.
“Seeing him struggle was very difficult for me and being away from him got harder and harder,” noted Blake, who has played limited minutes in his final year. “But after some time, I was able to confide in my coaches and teammates, who have been incredible—not because they've given me extra privileges, but because they're pushing me harder, which is exactly what I wanted.”
On Sunday, February 3, Robert had lost all of his hair and Blake outwardly showed his support for his dad by shaving his head for Monday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) matchup against St. Thomas.
“I wanted him to know that I supported him in this, and that I was willing to go the whole way—razor blade and all,” said Blake.
Following Blake's display of affection for his father, Bethel's men's basketball team wanted to show Blake the same support. So assistant coach Justin DeGrood texted the entire team and asked if they were willing to buzz their heads for the senior shooting guard. Many of the team members had already taken the initiative before Friday's practice, however, it was before Saturday's game that the remaining players and all coaches decided to fully engage.
“We're a team that genuinely loves one another,” commented teammate
Quinn Gorski. “This was our way of showing support for a teammate. Plus, it revealed a sense of unity in a tangible way.”
“Because I was on the mass text, I saw what Coach DeGrood had challenged the guys with and I was pretty emotional,” said Nicols, who was student teaching at the time of receiving the text.
“It was a good representation of how unified we are as a team,” said
Bjorn Westlund. “ This showed that we are more than just teammates, but also friends.”
The new haircuts served the purpose of supporting both Blake and Robert Nicols, however, it also seemed to be a motivational tool for the team, who is fighting for its second consecutive postseason appearance with just two games remaining in the regular season.
“We knew Saturday was a must-win game, but having the same hair cuts gave us a sense of solidarity that pushed us over the top,” said senior
JD Robinson.
“Cutting our hair together added momentum going into Saturday's game. Yet, it wasn't the symbol of 20 buzz cuts that added this momentum, but it was the symbol of unity that displayed the message of togetherness and that we were all moving towards the same goal—both on and off the court,” commented Gorksi.
The Royals certainly showed its heightened energy for the entire 40 minutes against Saint Mary's, as Bethel dismantled the Cardinals 94-46. The men's basketball team, who is currently tied for sixth in the MIAC, knows that it needs to win out in order to be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
Head Coach Jeff Westlund knows the race the Royals are up against, but he also knows the importance of supporting and honoring the team. Westlund commented before Saturday's game, “This is more than a haircut. There is more going on here than basketball, but rather its showcases our genuine support and respect for one another.”
With the win, the Royals improved to 9-9 against conference opponents, but they also heightened the showcase of their friendship and care for one another and for the Nicols family. Nicols admitted, “It's interesting to see how my dad's struggle turned into added motivation for me, which transpired into a our team's motivation down the stretch.”
Nicols added, “Theres never a good time to go through something like this, but we needed to play well together. And we knew that we had something more to honor than winning one game. We needed to play for one another. Our hair cuts certainly brought honor to my dad, but it taught us the importance of playing for the guy next to you on the court and on the bench.”
Bethel finishes its regular season with home games against both Hamline University and Macalester College. If the Royals were to win out and be tied with any other opponents, they would have the tiebreaker due to head-to-head records against the tied teams and against all the teams seeded above them.
