Life Saving Match

NOTE: The Be The Match feature first appeared in the Memphis Football GameDay program Oct. 19 when the Tigers hosted Tulane.

In the sports world, the word match is heard frequently.

Someone may say, "Hey, let's go to the volleyball match." Or "Did you see that goal scored in the soccer match?"

Or when a tennis match ends, the chair umpire will say, "Game, set, match."

For the University of Memphis athletics, there's another time when the word match comes into play, and it is much more than a game – it's life-saving.

Recently, Memphis teamed with Be The Match, the world's largest hematopoietic registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, for a drive on the University of Memphis campus. Be The Match aligns patients who have blood cancer with potential donors. Larry Reynolds, an assistant athletic trainer for Tigers athletics, began spearheading the efforts for a drive in 2019.

"This year, I was appointed to EDAC, and that is the Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee," Reynolds explained. "It is an extension of NATA, the National Athletic Trainers Association. One of the projects EDAC has championed is getting Be The Match into the college setting.

"Our staff brainstormed of what we could do to help and benefit our community, and we came up with the drive. We started planning this back in March, and this has brought our staff together."

What the brainstorming sessions produced was an idea to build a "Tennessee Wave" against cancer.

"We've developed it into what I call the 'Tennessee Wave'," Reynolds said. "Our vision is to have a drive at five different schools across the state of Tennessee and create a wave of awareness for Be The Match."

It was a plan that impressed and excited Stephanie Jackson, an account manager for the National Marrow Donor Program.

"Larry reached out to me early in the summer," said Jackson at the Oct. 10 drive on the Memphis campus. "He wanted to do something to increase awareness and registration. He has a great idea he's called the 'Tennessee Wave,' and that other schools in Tennessee will mimic what we're doing.

"This is the first drive, and he has a couple of other schools that have signed on to host ones as well. We're looking to continue the 'Wave,' and we hope to go across the state of Tennessee increasing awareness and getting people to register."

The first drive took place in the center of the Memphis campus nine days ago and a second drive was held on the Park Avenue campus earlier this week. Reynolds hopes the impact of the drive is two-fold: bringing awareness of blood cancers and increasing donors for the registry.

"It's easy to get lost in the grand scheme of what we're trying to do, but it's very simple: we want people to be informed, be educated," Reynolds said. "Then search your heart and determine what you're willing to do to help, get connected and be that match for someone."

Reynolds' vision of the registry drive is something that is going to carry on with the support from the Memphis athletics department for years to come.

"Our athletics administration and student-athletes are leaders on campus, and we support initiatives that have a great impact on our community," said Marlon Dechausay, Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Welfare, Sport Services and Compliance. "To see us be a part of something that could ultimately benefit others is important for us.

"We had some student-athletes that wanted to participate (in the first drive), but weren't able to, so we set up another drive for them last week. We'll look to do other drives, whether in the spring, next fall, or an annual event."

Jackson loves the idea of "matching" athletics with Be The Match registry drives and sees it as a win-win in the battle against cancer.

"Basketball players, football players, anyone in sports are campus influencers," Jackson said. "If we can get them involved and amped about the mission, they can bring in the rest of the student population. That's what we saw in this drive."

And, the drive is bringing together everyone for a common goal – something Reynolds saw all along.

"Unfortunately, we all have had some experience with cancer," Reynolds said. "The unique thing is this is an opportunity to help someone else with a very curable form of cancer. It's the most non-evasive way to help someone with cancer.

"It's brought our campus together – the administration building on main campus, us here on Park Avenue campus and the SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) together. It's brought a lot of people together for one cause, and it's been outstanding."

University of Memphis Athletics

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