During their games in October, the boys varsity soccer team wore pink jerseys in support of breast cancer awareness. The team, who has a 4-19 record, thought it would be a good way to show that they support breast cancer awareness.

“Coach [Larry] Scheller decided it would be a good idea to get them,” said sophomore varsity soccer player Cannon Murray. “In years past we have always had pink-themed jerseys in October.”

The team likes being able to wear the pink-themed jerseys. It brings awareness to something that isn’t talked about as much as it should be.

“The whole team enjoys wearing them to show support,” said sophomore player Jackson Houk.

The month of October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, an estimated 268,600 people will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year.

“It’s scary to think that so many people will have breast cancer,” sophomore Rebecca Orthwerth said. “You never really know how big of a problem it is until you read about it.”

The team typically wears black jerseys for home games and white jerseys for away games. During October, the pink themed jerseys are worn in place of the black home jerseys.

“We choose as a team and we usually wear it [the jersey] every other game,” junior player Dane McManus said.

According to UCSF Health, breast cancer is most common in older individuals. One in eight women who live to the age of 80 will be diagnosed with cancer. Nearly 77 percent of women who are diagnosed with cancer are over the age of 50. Less than 5 percent of women under the age of 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer.

There are many ways to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. According to City of Hope, exercise can reduce your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink and not smoking can also reduce your risks tremendously.

Breast cancer does not only affect women. Although rare, men can develop breast cancer. Male breast cancer symptoms are the same as women. One in every 1,000 men will develop this cancer. Men also have a higher mortality rate because it usually isn’t caught as early.

The team is grateful that they had the opportunity to wear the pink jerseys. They are glad they are able to show support in such a big way. The boys hope to continue the tradition of wearing the pink jerseys next October.

“Yes, [we will continue the tradition next year],” Houk said. “I think it’s a cool thing to do to support breast cancer awareness.”