GUILDERLAND — Making the cut.

As an athlete, it means everything. As a leukemia survivor, it means even more.

That’s why 12-year-old Hayley Mattice knew exactly what she was getting into when she lobbed off more than 10 inches of her hair for Locks of Love — because she is both.

Mattice, now a sixth-grader at Farnsworth Middle School, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2001 while she was in kindergarten at Lynnwood Elementary School. With the love and support of her family and friends along the way, Mattice is today looking to become Guilderland’s future basketball star.

Nothing is slowing her down.
"I like to keep myself busy," Mattice said. "I don’t like to sit around."

Between the Guilderland Basketball Club; the Junior Catholic Youth Oranization team; softball; bowling; the Law Club; school plays; playing the saxophone; tap, jazz, and ballet at the Dance Studio; and being a straight-A student, there really isn’t much time to sit around, say her parents, Paul and Karen.
"I get to be her chauffeur," said Mattice’s father as Hayley was describing her long list of activities. "And her older brother, too," he added.
Mattice was recently given an award by Farnsworth Middle School for "Good Character" in helping others.

Paul Mattice said the family found out about Hayley’s leukemia on Friday the 13th in April of 2001, after Hayley had been feeling tired and a blood test was taken. But, he continued, with the support of friends and the specialized touch of Albany Medical Center Cancer Care, she pulled through remarkably.
"She came through a lot better than her parents"It was never a big deal to her," he said, beaming with pride. "As you can see, it hasn’t slowed her down any."

Mattice said she has been growing her hair out for quite some time in order to participate in the Locks for Love program for other kids who lost their hair to a disease.
"I did it for the kids who lost their hair. I kind of know how it felt, so I wanted to help them," she said. About her own hair loss, Mattice said, "It was kind of like a shock, but then I got used to it."

Mattice does have some advice for others who are struggling with hair loss from chemotherapy.
"Don’t be embarrassed by it, because people will appreciate you for it," she said.

Never using Locks of Love herself, Mattice wore bandanas, but added that she realizes some people prefer wigs to make themselves feel comfortable.
"For Halloween, I wore a wig, but at school I always wore a bandana," Mattice said. "A lot of them had different patterns. I don’t think there was one that just had plain colors on it."

Mattice’s father said the other kids in her class asked Hayley about her leukemia and that two nurses from Albany Medical Center came to the school and explained it to everyone. After she lost her hair, all of students at school rallied behind her, he said.
"They had a bandana day at the school," he said. "A lot of the girls started wearing bandanas after she did"And all of the teachers down at Lynnwood took care of her, too."

Mattice looks forward to playing basketball throughout her academic career in the Guilderland School District, saying she’s going to try out for the modified team next year in seventh grade. She sometimes goes to the University at Albany basketball games, and, Mattice said, she wouldn’t mind playing there herself one day.
"I heard it was a really good college and I would like to go there and try out for team after high school," Mattice said.
When asked what she sees herself doing after school’s all done, Mattice responded after but a moment’s hesitation, "I really like basketball, so I was thinking about the WNBA."