Softball and basketball’s mom: Kerri Spirakis

Behind every team is a team mom — the one who takes care of snacks, carpool and communication between coaches and parents. For the girls’ basketball and softball teams, that mom has been Kerri Spirakis.

With her older daughter Eleni having graduated last year and her younger daughter Yianna about to graduate, Mrs. Spirakis was a willing volunteer. According to sophomore left fielder Ruhi Christie, Mrs. Spirakis has not only provided both softball and basketball teams with refreshments, but also has gone out of her way to make sure the team is always able to compete at the top of their game.

“I started helping because I like to help,” Mrs. Spirakis said. “It lets the players and coaches focus on the game and not have to worry about details that are important, but not directly relevant to the game.”

Mrs. Spirakis, in addition to providing refreshments for the teams, also sent out weekly emails, organized banquets and team dinners and coordinated the transportation for games.

Senior Yianna Spirakis liked having her mom fulfill the role.

“She always has snacks and stuff for softball and is really organized, which I know helps the coaches out a lot,” Yianna said. “She’s able to keep practice times and game times and carpool and stuff organized so I know it helps everyone out a lot.”

For the girls in both basketball and softball teams, Mrs. Spirakis is seen as an important part in the team’s organization and function.

“She definitely plays a vital part of our team and without her, it wouldn't have been as organized,” sophomore center player Kirstin Kruka said. “She really helped the coaches communicate with parents so they knew what was going on.”

As for when Yianna graduates, Mrs. Spirakis does not plan on not returning as team mom and will instead focus all her attention toward working at her original job in the elementary school district.

“It is very satisfying to know that the players and coaches appreciate the role I play in helping the team be successful,” Mrs. Spirakis said. “I feel like the players become like an extended part of my family. I got to celebrate all the good things and hopefully helped manage things that may not have been so good.”

The girls on both of the teams said that they could not be more grateful to Mrs.Spirakis.

“I would want to thank her for all the emails she sent out, it helped keep everything organized and everyone knew what was happening when,” Christie said. “Also for providing us with snacks during games because they were practically lifesavers to the entire team.”