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Rebounding to stay in life’s changing game Paul Sokoloski Opinion

Thursday January 14, 2010 | 12:00 AM

Paul Sokoloski psokoloski@timesleader.com

The sound of encouragement keeps bellowing in her ear, constantly whistling at Kacee Rava while urging her to play harder.

She is the only one who can hear it now.

There was a time, not too long ago, when everybody in the gym heard Jack Rava cheering his daughter from the stands at Coughlin High School girls basketball games.

Then her father became so sick he stopped coming to games last year, until cancer finally took Jack Rava’s life in March at the age of 53.

“He never missed a game since I was little,” Kacee Rava said. “He was always there for me.”

In a way, he still is.

“My dad was always pushing me,” Kacee said. “He was always saying, ‘Do your best. Get those rebounds.’ ”

She never stopped listening.

In a game against Dallas last week, Rava – a 6-foot senior center – pulled down 15 rebounds. She also made four steals, three blocks and scored 10 points in defeat.

But that loss won’t affect her life nearly as much as her personal one will.

“Basketball is always there,” Kacee said. “It’s always been family first. I was always mature and understood things. I kind of just matured a little bit faster.

“I’ve always looked to be a strong girl.”

She puts up a brave front.

“She really, truly does wish her dad was here,” said her mother, Marie Rava of Plains Twp. “He was her biggest fan. She is going through a tough time with this. She doesn’t show it here. Being her mother, I know.

“It kills her.”

It’s not going to cripple her, no matter how difficult it is for Kacee to deal with losing her dad so early in life.

He was a frozen food salesperson, and he sold Kacee on the idea of putting her priorities in order.

“She talks about her father all the time,” Marie Rava said. “He had the best whistle in the whole, wide world. He would whistle so loud, and when Kacee heard him, she knew he meant business.”

These days, Kacee’s taking care of business without her dad.

She’s excelling in the classroom, while preparing to become a Spanish education major and continue her basketball career at IUP later this year.

“For her to stay focused, with all that she has been through, continuing on with what she does, she’s an angel,” Marie Rava said.

But Kacee must feel as if the compassion she’s received during the most difficult time of her life was heaven-sent.

She can’t thank her past teammates enough for showing her tremendous support throughout last season, at a time when her mind was filled with fear and concern for her ailing father.

“They were always there for me,” Kacee said.

And when Rava doesn’t always get there in time to stop a shot or create a scoring chance while leading an inexperienced Coughlin team this season, her coach’s urge to criticize is quickly replaced by kindness.

“Sometimes I start to yell. I have to hold back, because of the circumstances,” Coughlin coach Tony George said. “Life dealt her a crummy break.”

Rava refuses to break down, though.

Her last high school season may be the first without her father, but she’ll never stop trying to make him proud. That voice he left in her head won’t let her.