Video messages from beach volleyball all-stars like Kerri Walsh Jennings, Casey Jennings, and Kristen Nuss Cruz, a silent auction, stacks of Springs Pizza, and some of the most competitive high school volleyball you could imagine — East Hampton High School pulled out all the stops in a thrilling five-set varsity boys match against Westhampton Beach on Oct. 6 — all in honor of Tom Schultz, the junior varsity coach.
At the end of last season, Schultz was diagnosed with colon cancer. Radiation and chemotherapy shrank the tumor. Last week, he underwent surgery to have a remaining tumor removed and will spend the rest of the season recovering. The boys volleyball teams organized the celebration for his last game of the year.
“It’s about the community and supporting him,” said Josh Brussell, the varsity head coach. “Tom’s just such a great guy. I want to show him and our community how we take care of each other.”
Proceeds from the evening were donated to the DezyStrong Foundation, which gives cancer patients access to experiences that positively affect their mental health. Bonac’s volleyball coaches have placed an emphasis on mental well-being this season, working with the boys on breathing exercises, focus, and togetherness. Schultz, in addition, brings professional volleyball experience and expertise to the program — something Brussell, in particular, will miss in his absence.
“He’s played in A.V.P. [Association of Volleyball Professionals] tournaments. He’s played against the best, so he brings all that knowledge. He brings something that I think a lot of programs don’t get. And I’m lucky to have these people to lean on and learn from,” he said.
According to Brussell, Schultz’s surgery was a success, and his first question upon waking up was, “Did the boys beat Sayville?” East Hampton lost that road match on Oct. 8, 3-2. It was Bonac’s third consecutive five-set loss, having lost to Eastport-South Manor at home on Sept. 29 before falling to Westhampton, 3-2, in Coach Schultz’s game.
“This was a battle we won. It was an unbelievable game,” Brussell said of the Westhampton loss. “Kerri [Walsh Jennings] loves failure, because it’s how you fix and how you work. We have to beat them once. They don’t want to see us again. We’re getting better and better and better, and there’s nothing wrong with a loss because it’s human. And that’s why we play the game. And that’s what’s fun about it — to watch all of these young men go through this and bond together. That’s fun to watch. We see these people grow.”
Brussell hopes the players learn not only from the loss, but from the example Coach Schultz has set for them.
“Tom’s showing us that you can take these bad things — terrible things can happen to people — but you gotta look at the good things. Look at how it can bring people together, bring his family together, and make his family bigger with our volleyball community. We have an awesome community. And that’s what volleyball is all about.”