Basketball has been a passion of mine since I was 8 years old. There was then obviously no other outlet for such a passion as great and powerful as the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Setting the VCR to record the day's worth of games, (and trying to remember to set the recording the night before for the next day), became a ritual. There were a few recording mishaps that resulted in painfully taping over some of the best games. Over the years, I effectively wore out my VHS tape that included the Gonzaga vs. Florida "the slipper still fits" game, which still gives me chills to this day.
The passion never dwindled. I made a collage that measured 6' by 5'. Since becoming a coach and educator, I have shared this passion with many students and athletes. Now, March means a pilgrimage to Las Vegas to watch the games with those who share my affinity for the greatest spectacle in all of sports.
I, as many, have always favored the underdog. A Gonzaga fan at the beginning of their national relevance, I developed a love for the lower-seed as well as an appreciation when the lower-seed upset my teams. Between Gonzaga and Michigan State, I've experienced my fair share of these upsets. Such is life.
To say I didn't have fantasies about playing on a 16 seed in my younger days would be a lie. Once I came to the realization I was no where near playing basketball at the next level, the fantasies shifted to being the coach of a 16 seed that was the first to upset a 1. This was the pinnacle of over-achievement and earning respect through performance.
It's not something I had really thought about intensely as my career as a Montessori teacher took off and coaching high school basketball became my deepest involvement. I still get giddy before the Selection Show and I still take in every moment I can of the tournament, but I knew that being a part of the NCAA Tournament was not something in my immediate or near-future. I love my work and I love the impact I have on children, so I have no regrets about this. But as I sat, watching the 16-seeded UMBC Retrievers dismantle the number 1 overall seed Virginia, every emotion I have ever had tied into college basketball came rushing back. Every second of appreciation for a team coming together, maximizing its skills, and achieving the impossible...or what once was...was frozen into a collective moment where the only time that existed was the clock ticking closer and closer to history.
At halftime, there was intrigue but doubt. As the second-half began with UMBC establishing the "we're not going anywhere" realization into their opponent, I began to settle into a stunned observation. Even at a sports bar in Vegas, everything faded. Closer and closer to the final buzzer, it became more and more real. With about 3 minutes left in the game, a few tears officially broke through my attempt at decorum. By the time the game was over, I was composed and joined what was nothing short of a respectful, tempered, standing ovation. Hundreds of miles away, with no physical involvement in the game, but connected across space and time with every fan of college basketball, of basketball, of sports, of competition, of LIFE, the "impossible" became not so.
Kids...18-22 year olds...captured the sports world. Their coach...not once lacking the composure and professionalism of a true leader...embodied a humbleness that seemed beyond possibility. In his eyes, the eyes of a man whose world had just been flipped upside-down by all his hard work, and trust, and faith, there seemed disbelief yet a spiritual respect for the undeserved place in history he could not have dreamed of. Or maybe he did. Maybe it was a dream of his. Maybe he knew all along. My guess is he won't even know this for a few months.
There is no way that any game will match what we all witnessed. As a teacher, I did what I could to try to impart that upon a young student who shows a passion that reminded me of what I felt as a child. There's no way I was effective. It's too big. I'm glad that it happened when I was grown up. The appreciation is unmeasurable.
Thank you sports. Thank you basketball. Thank you UMBC. I feel whole.