With Mom in mind

Every time Ryan Young suits up to play lacrosse, he's reminded of one of the most important people in his life.

Wrapped around the bottom part of the Terrapin men's lacrosse attackman's helmet is a piece of tape. On it are three letters scrawled in black ink: "MOM."

Before every practice and every game, Young sees the piece of tape, a somber reminder that sometimes there are more important things in life than the sport of lacrosse.

Young's mother, Maria, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during his freshman season. Since that day, the Manhasset, N.Y., native has thought about her every time he steps on the lacrosse field.

"I wear this little thing on my helmet," Young said before an afternoon practice earlier this season, standing in the Varsity Team House while his teammates walked out behind him to the practice field.

After pointing to the piece of tape, Young paused, stealing a glance at the his white helmet before looking back up.

"I think about her every time before I go out there," Young said. "It motivates me and helps me play my hardest."

THE BAD NEWS

Young still remembers the day he first heard the news. After a preseason scrimmage against Princeton in 2008, before he had ever even played in a meaningful game for the Terps, Young went back to his dorm room on South Campus to relax and catch up on some homework.

That's when he received a call.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. He knew his mother was undergoing surgery that day and had been anticipating a call updating her progress. But he didn't expect the news that he eventually got: She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

After hearing the news, Young contemplated going back to New York. But he soon decided against it. Instead, he'd stick it out in College Park, more than 240 miles away from his hometown.

"After that [call], it's just been on my mind throughout my four years here," Young said. "But the way that this team has responded, it's been like a second family here. I knew that if I came back, I'd have the support of 50 guys."

"It's not just about lacrosse," said first-year coach John Tillman, who said he stays in touch with Maria regularly through email. "Lacrosse is something that you're certainly passionate about, but it's about learning about life."

A ‘SECOND FAMILY'

Attackman Grant Catalino met Young before the duo ever paired up for the Terps in Byrd Stadium. Catalino, a Webster, N.Y., native, got to know Young in high school during a state all-star game for seniors. Upon meeting, the two future Terps clicked, both on and off the field.

"I've been pretty close with Ryan for a while now," Catalino said. "I found out [about Maria] pretty shortly after she was diagnosed. Just the nature of our team, we're extremely close. We always say that we're brothers or that we're a family. In that way, we are his second family. The team is his family away from home. It helps because he's not too close to home. So we're all he has down here."

Maria, who was unavailable to comment, was able to make it to Young's game against Duke earlier this season in what amounted to a family reunion. Ryan's twin brother, Kevin, plays for the Blue Devils.

The news hasn't been all good as Maria continues her battle against the cancer. Still, with each round of news he hears from home, Young knows Catalino and his other teammates will be there for him, no matter what.

"They're the first to console me and tell me that they're here for me," Young said. "It's comforting."

Tillman said it's easy to see why the Terps have been so quick to help their teammate.

This fall, Tillman hosted a barbeque that welcomed the Terps' newcomers to the team. To no one's surprise, Young decided to stop by, helping out and getting to know the freshmen on a more personal level.

It was only fitting that the family support system that has helped Young through his personal crisis is something that he helped foster and build himself.

"He got up in front of everybody and said in front of all the parents and everyone involved, ‘You guys just got 40 new brothers,'" Tillman recalled. "He's just so likeable and energetic and just an upbeat guy that it's an easy thing to do. He's one of the guys that when the freshmen get here, he goes out of his way to take care of those guys."

THE COLOR PURPLE

Before this season, Tillman, equipment manager Tim Ahner and team spokesman Patrick Fischer approached Young to suggest getting the word out about his mother's battle to help raise awareness for the Lustgarten Foundation, a nonprofit organization that attempts to further medical research related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

In support of Maria and the foundation, the Terps decided to wear purple ribbons on their helmets this season. Tillman even wears a black Under Armour hat with a purple insignia on game days.

"I thought it was a great idea," Young said. "I told my mom about it, and she was very happy about it. She was proud to have me and the rest of the team wearing it."

"We want to do as much as we can to do our part," Tillman added. "Hopefully, it helps as much as possible."

Catalino said he has already witnessed the effect of donning the ribbons. In a sport that prides itself on its macho mindset and toughness, curiousity about the strand of purple ribbon has only been natural.

"It's a great cause," Catalino said. "People always ask us what the purple ribbon is for, and you tell them about the cause and about Ryan's mom. So it definitely helps spread the word."

The team's efforts, players said, have helped put the game they play in perspective. The Terps realize the impact of one small ribbon can be much more far-reaching than any goals scored or games won.