Joy Christian's Briele Sorensen is more than a team manager By SARAH MCLELLAN AZ Republic

Today I had a story run in the newspaper and online about Briele Sorensen. Briele is the team manager for the Glendale Joy Christian girls basketball team.  http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/SarahMcLellan/152866

If you haven't read the story yet, you can check it out here. Briele is a truly amazing and inspiring individual. For this piece, I shadowed Briele during one of the team's games and one of its practices. I uncovered so much information and details about Briele that I decided to share what I couldn't get into the story here.

Joy Girls Wickenberg Champions 2011

Briele is also the manager for the volleyball squad, and the school has asked if she'll be willing to help out with the track team. "If they need me, I'm there," Briele said.

The idea for Briele to become a team manager originated in the eighth grade. Briele's best friend, Amanda Mork, forgot her water bottle for basketball practice. So Briele went to the coffee shop on the Joy Christian campus and not only bought a water for Amanda, but also for the other nine girls on the team. The next year, the job was hers.

Arrowhead ICU August 20, 2011

When Briele was rushed to the hospital, her mother, Tonya, called Joy Christian School to give them a heads-up on Briele's status. "By the time practices were done, football games were done, the waiting room just starting filling up with people," Tonya said. Classmates, coaches, teachers, and friends had come to show their support for Briele, and it didn't stop there.

Briele continually had visitors, and her best friends stayed with her on the weekends. "Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they come and see me, and they never give up on me," Briele said. "I think that's a true friend. Someone who's there for you, who holds your hand and prays with you."

Friends brought many gifts.  August 21, 2011

The student body even organized a pink day at school (pink is Briele's favorite color). Thanks to Facebook, that message spread, and the family heard of people wearing pink all around the world.

Briele's sickness touched many people, especially her friends. "For kids, they don't really sense their mortality in high school," Mark said. "Many, as they came to visit her in the hospital, you could just see that it was finally hitting them that maybe I'm not invincible as a teenager. So I think it was a very powerful experience for all of us."

Briele honored at Joy Christian Homecoming 2011

Not only is Briele supportive of her teammates, but her kindness spreads to the opponent as well. Before every game, she and Tonya assemble gift bags for the Joy Christian players to hand out to the other team. Inside is an assortment of M&Ms and Hershey bars and a bible verse.

Briele wants to share her story with others so that they can gain strength and believe anything is possible. She's already talked to the elementary classes at her school. Next up, the high schoolers. "I was in a hospital bed, and look where I am today," she says.

An inspiration, indeed.

Smiling in the Hospital August 2011 

Senior Picture January 2012