Playing With a Purpose
Brooks Rasmussen
Before each game, Boise State outside hitter Sydney Dreves has her pregame routine. On top of putting on her jersey and getting her mind ready to go, the orange ribbon on her shoelaces is the one thing she’ll never leave behind.
The ribbon signifies her father Patrick’s ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). He’s been battling with it for nearly five years, and his fight with a disease has inspired and encouraged Sydney to put her best foot forward on and off the court.
Sydney didn’t find out about Patrick's diagnosis of MS, a chronic disease that interferes with the communication between the body’s central nervous system and the brain, for two years.
Sydney refers to her father as the “backbone and support” of her family. Patrick played collegiate soccer and tennis at Whitworth in Spokane, Wash., where he was a team captain on both teams. His athletic prowess continued into his adult life as he went on to hold multiple tennis head coaching positions over the years at Whitworth (1996), Linfield (1998-2002), Eastern Washington (2004-07) and Lewis and Clark College (2011-17).
Patrick found out about his diagnosis early in 2022. Not wanting to negatively impact his daughters, he didn’t disclose it to them until nearly two years later.
“We didn’t know for two years,” said Sydney. “He was diagnosed my sophomore year of high school and he didn’t tell my sisters and I until my junior year. My mom was the only person that knew because he was the backbone of our family and didn’t want a reason to make excuses. He wanted to set the best example for us that he could and didn’t want us to worry about him or let it affect us until we absolutely had to know.”
After being diagnosed, Patrick wanted to find the best care he could to make sure his involvement in his family’s lives was something he could ensure wasn’t going to change.
“I remember he began going to Arizona a lot, but my parents told us it was for work,” said Sydney.
One day Sydney and her sister came home from a tennis match. When they got home they went to break it down with their parents and found them in the garage doing something.
“My dad was starting to have an episode and it was really scary for my sister and I because we had no idea what was going on. I’d never really seen my dad cry like that,” said Sydney.
Sydney’s parents decided to sit both of them down to discuss their father’s diagnosis. Leaving them both in shock.
“They explained the situation to us but also made sure we knew everything was going to be okay,” Sydney said.
Finding out so abruptly was an emotional rollercoaster for both Sydney and her sister.
Sydney said, “I just remember all of us crying and not really knowing how to feel.”
Not telling his daughters was an effort to protect and help them chase their dreams without having to worry about what he was going through. Now knowing what her father went through, Sydney has developed a whole new perspective on her approach to life and volleyball.
“I felt guilty and disappointed in myself when I found out,” said Sydney. “Sometimes I wasn’t the nicest person to him. I had no idea what he was going through and he just powered through.”
Learning to be grateful for so much more now was a switch that Sydney decided to make in her life.
“I realized what my dad was going through and his decision not to tell us was to give me opportunities,” said Sydney. “He didn’t want me to worry about him. It allowed me to go out and do my best in whatever I was doing.”
While dealing with MS, Patrick set the standard of being a father and husband first. He holds his girls to the same heights of doing everything they can in their control to give themselves the chance to be the best they can be.
During Patrick’s 17 years as a tennis coach, he built a pretty impressive resume. He was named the 2007 Big Sky Coach of the Year, Northwest Conference Coach of the Year three times (2000, 2001 and 2016) and a two-time ITA West Region Coach of the Year (2015 & 2016). While balancing the demands of being a full-time tennis coach a majority of the year, he still found time to be a parent and show up for his kids.
“As I was growing up I got to see him as a coach and a parent,” Sydney said. “Seeing how hardworking he was as he coached two college teams through two separate seasons simultaneously, he still found the time to make it to our sporting events. He was completely in our lives. He knew what we could do and where we could end up and he pushed us to get there in a very respectful way and that’s the most inspiring thing to me. With everything that’s happened in our life, he still provides the light we need to succeed in whatever we choose to do.”
Sydney’s oldest sister, Alison, went on to play volleyball at Marian University in Indianapolis and her other sister, Lauren, is currently in her junior season at Auburn. With both of her parents playing college sports, it’s no wonder that Sydney and her sisters developed a competitive nature at an early age that turned into them playing collegiate volleyball.
“He did everything for us,” said Sydney. “I don’t know how my parents did it. They took us to our practices and games all while this was going on. It didn’t matter what my dad was going through. He found a way to keep us from worrying about him, which is extremely selfless of him.”
Her mom also played volleyball at Gonzaga. She will also get to play at her mom’s former court later this season on Oct. 17 with the Broncos becoming new members of the Pac-12 conference.
With a unique change in perspective and her experiences, Sydney and the rest of her family have been able to make themselves a resource to their teammates and others who may be experiencing a bump in their own road.
“My sister and I played together in high school,” said Dreves. “We went through it at the same time, but we had each other. I never want somebody to go through something alone. My family and I have been fortunate enough to participate in different social media awareness campaigns for MS and finding other ways to help raise money while also helping educate others about MS.”
Sydney’s performance on the court has also allowed her to expand her outreach in the volleyball community. As one of only five returners on this years’ team, she’s found her way onto the preseason Pac-12 Impact List, was the Boise State Classic MVP and joined two of her teammates on the All-Tournament Team at the Boise State Invitational. Being able to play on a bigger stage has allowed her to help raise awareness for MS and is something she is very passionate about.
“I would say that truly getting a grasp on what MS is and understanding what exactly my dad is dealing with was my first step,” said Sydney. “I can talk to and help educate people on MS. Yes, there are different places you can donate to, but educating myself and being able to spread awareness of something I feel deeply connected to makes it feel like I’m making a difference.”
In only her sophomore year, being a leader is a role that Sydney has stepped into this season. Her drive to compete, make others better, and win is a trait she has developed from her family’s impressive athletic resume and ability to move forward no matter what.
“She is one of the most competitive players I have ever coached,” said Boise State volleyball assistant coach Megan Yett. “She finds a way to win and will do anything it takes to do so. She’s taken on a lot of responsibilities and is always encouraging people to do more, which is exactly what you want in a leader. I think she gets a lot of that from her family who are extremely supportive of her.”
The Bronco volleyball team gave every player a chance to publicize a cause or something they play for that is bigger than themselves. On Sydney’s ‘playing for a cause’ sheet she wrote “MS and how strong my father is.” These efforts not only help shine a light on MS awareness but also give her teammates an opportunity to find ways to support her as well.
“I play with an orange ribbon on my shoes,” said Sydney. “Most people wear ribbons in their hair, but my family and I are very superstitious, so I wear it on my shoes to still be able to represent him.”
Sydney and the rest of the Bronco volleyball team will host their ‘Volley for a Cause’ night on October 15 against Washington State.
While still having two daughters playing volleyball at the collegiate level, Patrick still finds a way to make it to as many of each of their matches throughout the year.
“My dad surprised me at our first spring game in March, which also happened to be national MS awareness month,” said Sydney.
Knowing her dad made the trip, Sydney’s teammates put together a card, some candy and an orange ribbon to give to her father.
“I thought that was pretty special. He was crying and it meant a lot to him. I have some of the best teammates and they’ve been so helpful and extremely supportive of my family and I,” said Sydney.
Sydney struggled at first to accept her father’s diagnosis, but has leaned on her family, coaches and teammates as she’s begun to accept the reality of the situation.
“I didn’t want to accept it at first, obviously,” said Sydney. “I think I accepted it last year after knowing for two years. We don’t really talk about it that much as a family, but we all know if he needed anything that we’d be there in an instant. Being able to educate myself and become comfortable enough to talk about it took some time, but I have the best support from my family and my teammates around me.”
With a family that is so close, Sydney leaned on her support from her dad to take advantage of the opportunities she got. She learned that no matter the circumstances, there is always a way if you’re willing to do what it takes.
“I’m more thankful for everything now,” said Dreves. “I take every opportunity that comes my way because you never know when what’s going to happen at the end of the day.”