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ICE HOCKEY TEAM IS WITH AND FOR CANCER WARRIORS
When the Regis Jesuit Hockey Team skates out on the ice for its January 24, 2025 game against Cherry Creek High, they will wear yellow capes to honor 42 young people fighting childhood cancer. The players have already written messages of support to these teenagers with a rare bone cancer and recorded video messages that will be shown between periods at the ice rink. In a very practical way, they have become Men with and for Others.
Their yellow superhero capes honor the “cancer warriors,” as they call the young people struggling with osteosarcoma. During the break between periods, these video messages play on screens around the rink. Each video features three players who introduce themselves by name and then offer brief messages of encouragement. They express their support in phrases such as: “We’re very inspired by your story, and we hope you keep fighting.” “We’re thinking about you; you’re a warrior. You got this.” “If I could be any fighter, I’d be you.” “We’re really proud of what you have accomplished so far.” “Keep trying new things.” “You can do anything you put your mind to.” “We think we’re strong, but you’re stronger.”
The cancer warriors will be able to watch a live broadcast of the game and see that hundreds of people are rooting for them. Spectators in the rink can contribute to a fund for researching cancer. At last year’s game, fans gave more than $3000, with Cherry Creek fans also generously supporting the effort.
The Hockey Team’s commitment to this cause has been a family story for the past three years. It began with Taylor Ash’s 2018 diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a rare but dangerous cancer that affects teenagers during growth spurts. Her brother, Eli ‘23, was playing hockey for Regis Jesuit at the time and introduced his sister to coach Terry Ott. Taylor suggested a variety of ways that the team could partner with their family’s Kick Ash Cancer Foundation.
“Coach Ott was awesome. He said, ‘Yeah, let’s do all of them!’” she recalled. Their first effort three years ago was just an event for people to skate with the team. Then they hit on the idea of sending messages to teenagers fighting bone cancer during a hockey game with Cherry Creek High School that Kick Ash Cancer would sponsor.
Taylor created Kick Ash Cancer Foundation as a platform for advocacy after she finished treatment for her cancer in 2019. She was in her junior year of high school when her leg started bothering her. An avid soccer and hockey player, she assumed it was just a muscle strain, but went to a local doctor when she could barely play sports. To her dismay, that first test showed a slight abnormality that eventually led to a diagnosis of osteosarcoma. She was diagnosed in September 2018 and began six rounds of chemotherapy followed by two surgeries.
Following her treatment completion in May 2019, Taylor wanted to give something back to people for all the support she received during the difficult regimen. “For me, it was never a question of what I was going to do, am I going to fight it? No, we’re doing the chemo; we’re doing the surgery that I needed to get better, but it got to the point where I felt very lonely.”
The name of the organization, Kick Ash, comes from her family. During her hospital stays, her name—Taylor Ash—was always written on a card by the door. Since she was a soccer player, her mother would add the word “kick” to the nametag, or she would erase ‘Taylor’ and just write ‘Kick.’ Eventually, it became a family joke, and then the name of the foundation—Kick Ash Cancer.
This year, the Hockey Team received a list of 42 children from across the country who are currently fighting this cancer, two of whom live in the Denver area, with information about each patient: how they are doing, where they are in the treatment process, what their special interests are, the sports they favor, etc. On September 23, team members gathered in the home of Chad and Lisa Williams to write notes of support, three for each patient, and record video messages for each of these cancer warriors.
“It is giving back to the community,” Coach Terry Ott explains. “Taylor has expressed to us how important it was for her when she was going through the treatment. She continues to say that a letter from someone you don’t know just offers so much support. (You don’t know) how much that means to them when they are in the struggle, to know that somebody is rooting for them, praying for them, encouraging them. It makes a huge difference in their fight against the disease.”
Lisa Williams, mother to RJ Hockey player Nolan ’25, thinks the program helps the boys connect with these patients as people. They find shared interests (“we like the same video games”) and realize their common humanity. “The warriors are not ‘them’ anymore; they are just like ‘us,’” she said. Williams sees the biggest benefit as the students’ realization that they can positively impact a serious problem. They can take something in everyday life that they would do anyway—playing a hockey game—and give it an impact that helps other people.
“Having that support and having something break the terrible routine you are in was really helpful,” Taylor said. “I love that the RJ boys are able to do that for another kid. Here’s some people cheering for you, and a fun card and video to break up your routine. Let’s watch a hockey game where they call out your name. It makes you feel like you’re supported going through something that is terrible and really hard.”
Awareness of cancer is a sad reality, especially when those fighting it are the same age as, or even younger than, you are. The Hockey Team’s participation in Kick Ash Cancer is the positive side of that awareness; spending time with actual patients is the more challenging side. RJ’s Hockey players also visit Children’s Hospital to distribute stuffed animals that fans throw on to the ice during their annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Ott sees a correlation between sending messages of hope and the volunteer service players perform at the hospital.
Nolan Williams spent last summer shadowing Taylor’s oncologist, Dr. Masanori Hayashi. “It’s definitely hard to visit real patients. It’s a challenge, but it showed me how important it is for these kids to have good doctors,” he said. He credits the team’s participation in Kick Ash Cancer as a factor in their success last year when they won the State Championship. “It makes us bond so we can play better together as a team,” he said.
Regis Jesuit’s mission statement declares that the school “nurtures compassionate hearts to serve others” as one of its goals in helping students become Men and Women with and for Others. Coach Ott sees support for children with cancer as a way to do that. “It can be just reaching out, listening to someone’s story. That’s why we have done this for the last three years—the Teddy Bear Toss, the Kick Ash project among other things—just trying to raise awareness. I can lecture them about the importance of helping others, that leadership is really about helping others, about taking a selfless role. As a coach, I’m always looking for what we can do to help them realize that.”
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The cancer warriors will be able to watch a live broadcast of the game and see that hundreds of people are rooting for them. Spectators in the rink can contribute to a fund for researching cancer. At last year’s game, fans gave more than $3000, with Cherry Creek fans also generously supporting the effort.
The Hockey Team’s commitment to this cause has been a family story for the past three years. It began with Taylor Ash’s 2018 diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a rare but dangerous cancer that affects teenagers during growth spurts. Her brother, Eli ‘23, was playing hockey for Regis Jesuit at the time and introduced his sister to coach Terry Ott. Taylor suggested a variety of ways that the team could partner with their family’s Kick Ash Cancer Foundation.
“Coach Ott was awesome. He said, ‘Yeah, let’s do all of them!’” she recalled. Their first effort three years ago was just an event for people to skate with the team. Then they hit on the idea of sending messages to teenagers fighting bone cancer during a hockey game with Cherry Creek High School that Kick Ash Cancer would sponsor.
Taylor created Kick Ash Cancer Foundation as a platform for advocacy after she finished treatment for her cancer in 2019. She was in her junior year of high school when her leg started bothering her. An avid soccer and hockey player, she assumed it was just a muscle strain, but went to a local doctor when she could barely play sports. To her dismay, that first test showed a slight abnormality that eventually led to a diagnosis of osteosarcoma. She was diagnosed in September 2018 and began six rounds of chemotherapy followed by two surgeries.
Following her treatment completion in May 2019, Taylor wanted to give something back to people for all the support she received during the difficult regimen. “For me, it was never a question of what I was going to do, am I going to fight it? No, we’re doing the chemo; we’re doing the surgery that I needed to get better, but it got to the point where I felt very lonely.”
The name of the organization, Kick Ash, comes from her family. During her hospital stays, her name—Taylor Ash—was always written on a card by the door. Since she was a soccer player, her mother would add the word “kick” to the nametag, or she would erase ‘Taylor’ and just write ‘Kick.’ Eventually, it became a family joke, and then the name of the foundation—Kick Ash Cancer.
This year, the Hockey Team received a list of 42 children from across the country who are currently fighting this cancer, two of whom live in the Denver area, with information about each patient: how they are doing, where they are in the treatment process, what their special interests are, the sports they favor, etc. On September 23, team members gathered in the home of Chad and Lisa Williams to write notes of support, three for each patient, and record video messages for each of these cancer warriors.
“It is giving back to the community,” Coach Terry Ott explains. “Taylor has expressed to us how important it was for her when she was going through the treatment. She continues to say that a letter from someone you don’t know just offers so much support. (You don’t know) how much that means to them when they are in the struggle, to know that somebody is rooting for them, praying for them, encouraging them. It makes a huge difference in their fight against the disease.”
Lisa Williams, mother to RJ Hockey player Nolan ’25, thinks the program helps the boys connect with these patients as people. They find shared interests (“we like the same video games”) and realize their common humanity. “The warriors are not ‘them’ anymore; they are just like ‘us,’” she said. Williams sees the biggest benefit as the students’ realization that they can positively impact a serious problem. They can take something in everyday life that they would do anyway—playing a hockey game—and give it an impact that helps other people.
“Having that support and having something break the terrible routine you are in was really helpful,” Taylor said. “I love that the RJ boys are able to do that for another kid. Here’s some people cheering for you, and a fun card and video to break up your routine. Let’s watch a hockey game where they call out your name. It makes you feel like you’re supported going through something that is terrible and really hard.”
Awareness of cancer is a sad reality, especially when those fighting it are the same age as, or even younger than, you are. The Hockey Team’s participation in Kick Ash Cancer is the positive side of that awareness; spending time with actual patients is the more challenging side. RJ’s Hockey players also visit Children’s Hospital to distribute stuffed animals that fans throw on to the ice during their annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Ott sees a correlation between sending messages of hope and the volunteer service players perform at the hospital.
Nolan Williams spent last summer shadowing Taylor’s oncologist, Dr. Masanori Hayashi. “It’s definitely hard to visit real patients. It’s a challenge, but it showed me how important it is for these kids to have good doctors,” he said. He credits the team’s participation in Kick Ash Cancer as a factor in their success last year when they won the State Championship. “It makes us bond so we can play better together as a team,” he said.
Regis Jesuit’s mission statement declares that the school “nurtures compassionate hearts to serve others” as one of its goals in helping students become Men and Women with and for Others. Coach Ott sees support for children with cancer as a way to do that. “It can be just reaching out, listening to someone’s story. That’s why we have done this for the last three years—the Teddy Bear Toss, the Kick Ash project among other things—just trying to raise awareness. I can lecture them about the importance of helping others, that leadership is really about helping others, about taking a selfless role. As a coach, I’m always looking for what we can do to help them realize that.”
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