Playing with a Purpose – Playing for Pablo
It was an exciting weekend filled with highs and lows for the players and families at the state tournament. It is so easy to get consumed with the emotions that come with winning and losing, but there were teams…
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Continue ReadingIt was an exciting weekend filled with highs and lows for the players and families at the state tournament. It is so easy to get consumed with the emotions that come with winning and losing, but there were teams who kept everything in perspective and played with a purpose.
Playing for Pablo: Paul Soupir is the assistant volleyball coach at Southwest Minnesota State University Volleyball. In fact, he has been there for 16+ years. Paul has accompanied the team to
over a dozen NCAA tournament appearances. The support he has given the SMSU program has not gone unnoticed. He seems to have a special relation with the players he meets.
The Marshall Tigers have close ties to the SMSU volleyball team camps, attending nearly every year. Paul, who is lovingly referred to as “Pablo” shares a special connection with all the campers. This includes the Stewartville Tigers too. When the word spread that Paul was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma this year. This is a cancerthat begins in the white blood cells and impacts the immune system. News of Paul’s diagnosis has spread quickly this season through social media and events. Likewise, support for Paul, is growing with every day. During the state tournament, the Marshall Tigers and Stewartville Tigers were both seen wearing t-shirts with the name “Pablo” for him. When Stewartville won the class AA championship, a few of their top players even wore the meaningful T for press interviews.
It is great to see the support these teams and others in the volleyball community are showing during this difficult time. While his current treatment and condition is not known, we hope and pray that medical advances along with the support of his friends and fans, Paul will find healing. And while volleyball is important to us, there are things that matter much more – giving many a purpose to play.