January 30, 2012

For 46 years, Coach Fletcher Arritt has been a staple at Fork Union Military Academy.

"I played here myself, in 1959-1960," said Arritt, who has been diagnosed with stage three lymphoma. "Cancer is just another game. It's something you have to go through. Everybody is going to have some problem and you have to go through that."

From 1966 on he spent his life teaching cadets both in the classroom and on the basketball court.

"He's a hard worker, so he expects you to work hard too, and he just expects the best from you," said Dontae Carter, a basketball player.

"He does a great job of helping to build our character," added another one of Arritt's players, Mike Fitzpatrick.

Coach Arritt is building character and leading by example. His assistant coach and son-in-law, Brooks Berry, played under him.

"He works early in the morning to late at night, 365 days a year. Even though he's got cancer right now, a lot of people wouldn't even be able to tell," said Berry.

In addition to giving their all on the court, some of the players are sporting new buzz cuts to show their support for their beloved coach.

While Arritt is focused on basketball, the community is showing support for the legendary coach. The students are doing a Cadets for Cancer event and hosting a Walk-A-Thon on Apr. 28.