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| SPORTS
ENTHUSIASTS — Norm and Maryrose
Kelly, pictured at their Union Grove home, were
delighted to learn that the Padre Serra Tournament
organizers have named the girls’ championship
trophy after Norm. A longtime youth basketball
coach and Padre Serra volunteer, Norm was diagnosed
with cancer in 1986 and recently decided to
end medical treatment. (Catholic Herald photo
by Sam Lucero) |
ST. FRANCIS — When the whistle
blows and the tip-off begins for the 46th annual Padre
Serra Basketball Tournament March 2 at the Cousins Center,
one of the tournament’s longtime volunteers will
be absent.
Norm Kelly, 65, who began coaching basketball in 1975
and had been involved in the Padre Serra tourney for
some 20 years, has cancer. A member of St. Robert Bellarmine
Parish in Union Grove, Norm was diagnosed with prostate
cancer in 1986.
According to his wife, Maryrose, Norm began radiation
treatment shortly after his diagnosis. However, radiation
led to complications. Norm has had four surgeries, developed
diabetes, had numerous skin diseases and was hospitalized
twice with low blood platelets. “(The radiation)
damaged his body so bad that all of these other things
happened,” she said. “I used to tease him
that the only doctor he never saw was a gynecologist.”
Despite the complications, the radiation treatment seemed
to help Norm. However, in June 2002, the cancer returned.
Norm and Maryrose agreed he should start chemotherapy.
For the next six months Norm went through chemotherapy
every other week.
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For
complete coverage of the Padre Serra Tournament,
including daily updates, go to < www.thepadreserra.org>.
Also, visit our sports
link to
view pictures from the tournament. |
“That helped but only for a short time and took
away his quality of life,” said Maryrose. “He
had lost about 40 pounds. He was so tired all the time
and couldn’t do anything.”
That was when Norm decided to let the disease take its
course. His final chemotherapy treatment was in January
2003. “If there was going to be any quality of
life, it was going to be however long God wants him
here,” said Maryrose.
Norm and Maryrose are spending their remaining days
together at home, where Norm receives hospice care from
Seasons Hospice. “They have supported both of
us in the best way,” said Maryrose. “I recommend
hospice to anyone in a situation like this.”
Family and friends have kept in close contact with the
Kellys, including organizers of the Padre Serra tournament.
Last month, tournament leaders decided to honor their
longtime friend in a special way. The Padre Serra board
of directors agreed unanimously to name the girls’
championship trophy after Norm.
“Norm has been working with kids, with the North
Shore basketball league, for years and we decided he
would be a perfect candidate for it,” said Frank
Crivello, a longtime member of the Padre Serra Tournament
Committee. “Dave Sauceda, tournament director,
asked (Maryrose) how she would feel if we would dedicate
this trophy in Norm’s name and she said that would
be wonderful.”
The boys’ championship award is named in honor
of Tom Webb, a Wisconsin native who died of cancer in
1999.
During a recent interview with the Catholic Herald,
the Kellys talked about Norm’s love of sports
and the couple’s faith in God.
Coaching has long been a passion for Norm, who spent
40 years as a carpenter. “Through his love of
sports he helped a lot of young people,” said
Maryrose. “He was never a coach that was in it
for himself. He wanted to teach the young people how
to play the game and how to be a good sportsman.”
Not only did he coach boys’ basketball teams at
St. Catherine on North 76th Place and Holy Redeemer
(now Blessed Trinity) parishes in Milwaukee, taking
one team from each school to the Padre Serra Tournament,
Norm coached Special Olympics basketball for three years.
It was especially meaningful to Norm because his oldest
son, Danny, was on the team.
“The first time we had practice, you threw the
ball to them and they all ducked,” recalled Norm.
“They were all scared of the ball.”
Norm had to teach the special athletes to be comfortable
around a basketball before he could teach them skills
— which he did to near perfection. He took two
Special Olympics basketball teams to the state Special
Olympics competition.
Over the years, Norm not only coached basketball, he
served as athletic director for about 12 years at St.
Catherine School and for the past 15 years has been
president of the North Shore Catholic school basketball
league.
One of the reasons playing and coaching basketball is
so enjoyable, said Norm, is that life lessons abound.
Padre
Serra tourney
tips off March 2 |
ST. FRANCIS
— Beginning March 2, 32 boys and 32 girls
eighth grade Catholic school basketball teams
will invade the Milwaukee Bucks’ practice
floor at the Cousins Center for the 46th annual
Padre Serra Basketball Tournament.
The tournament began in 1959 at the Gesu Gym on
Wisconsin Avenue and was originally called the
Catholic Midget League Championship. Now known
as the Padre Serra Tournament, after the Franciscan
missionary Padre Junipero Serra, the event is
hosted by the Milwaukee Serra Club.
The Serra Club is a Catholic lay organization
dedicated to fostering vocations. There are 732
Serra clubs in 35 countries, all part of Serra
International. Proceeds from the tournament are
donated to Saint Francis Seminary, Sacred Heart
School of Theology, and the Society of Jesus to
support seminarian training. Last year the tournament
raised more than $25,000.
Frank Crivello, a member of the Padre Serra tournament
committee, said this year’s field of teams
is strong.
“I think the boys’ teams are very
competitive,” he said. “One team that
sticks out, that will be the favorite for the
tournament, is Mary Queen of Martyrs, from the
northwest side. They’ve only lost one game
this year and they seem to be the team to beat
for the boys.”
Crivello said the girls’ competition is
more difficult to predict.
“The girls’ tournament is probably
more of a wide open race, with maybe three or
four teams that could win the tournament. There
is no prohibitive favorite,” he added. “It
should be a great tournament.”
The tournament is open to the public. Admission
is $3 for adults, $2 for high school students
and senior citizens, and $1 for students in elementary
and junior high. Children under 4 are free.
For updated tournament information, see the Padre
Serra Web site, <www.thepadreserra.org>.
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“I remember when we played in the St. Adalbert
tournament in Milwaukee,” he said. “We were
beating this team and all of a sudden we lost. I was
walking out of the gym and one of our players said,
‘Come on Mr. Kelly, I’ll buy you a popcorn.’
He already forgot the game and I was still brooding.”
Norm said his fight with cancer has been a challenge,
and he has placed his life in God’s hands.
“I think the cancer put a little dent in my enthusiasm,
but after a while I got to thinking, ‘What are
you thinking of yourself for? You should be thinking
of what you should be doing. You’re not so bad
you can’t talk,’” he said.
“Norm almost died a couple of times with serious
complications,” said Maryrose. “He’s
had a very strong faith through all of this. He was
a real inspiration to other people — and still
is. We’ve had people that are dealing with cancer
issues and they always say if Norm can do it, I can
do it.”
According to Maryrose, prayer has helped the couple
manage through difficult times.
“Norm and I have prayed together. We pray every
night,” she said. “We spend a lot of time
just praying to God, to give us strength to get through
what we’re dealing with.
“We believe in the power of prayer and that has
really gotten us through all of this,” she continued.
“God doesn’t always answer your prayers
the way you would like him to, but he gives you the
strength to deal with the difficulties you have.”
Knowing that friends and family throughout the country
are also praying for Norm offers much solace, added
Maryrose.
“We thank God a lot for the blessings that we
have in our lives,” she said.
At Norm’s request, Maryrose recently wrote a eulogy
that will one day be read at her husband’s funeral.
“Norm’s life was spent helping others through
his love of sports,” the eulogy begins. “He
was a great sport enthusiast who watched, participated
and coached.”
Norm said he is proud of his affiliation with the Padre
Serra Tournament. “The kids know it’s a
special tournament when they get into it,” he
said. “They are playing against other kids capable
of playing at their skill level every game.”
Crivello, who has known Norm for 25 years through coaching,
said Norm personifies the qualities the Padre Serra
tournament represents. “Norm is just a personality,
plus. Everybody likes Norm. He’s very comical,
and just a great guy to be around. Norm was willing
to put in the endless hours ... to make the tournament
a success,” he said.
The Norm Kelly Award will be presented to the Padre
Serra tournament girls’ championship team on March
21. If Norm’s health allows, he and Maryrose will
be in attendance for the trophy presentation.
“After we present the final girls’ awards,
they will introduce Norm and Maryrose and his family
and have him come out” onto the court, said Crivello.
If Norm is unable to be present, Maryrose said he will
be represented by their son Jeff, who lives in Milwaukee.
The couple’s other son, Tom, lives near Madison.
The game of life and the game of basketball have showered
Norm Kelly with many rewards. Now that the clock is
ticking down to life’s final stages for him, Norm
reflects back on both with joy.
“He lived a wonderful life,” wrote Maryrose
in her eulogy. “Like St. Joseph, the carpenter,
Norm loved his wife and sons, worked hard to provide
a good home for them, and did what God asked of him.”
