Teaching Life Lessons

How could that be? you ask. Because it provided a sterling example of sportsmanship that those who witnessed it will hopefully reflect upon long after their playing days have concluded.

 

On Monday, May 21, the Cougars were traveling south toward the Dinwiddie Sports Complex to tangle with Paul VI (Fairfax) in the thrice rain-delayed semifinal game of the VISAA tournament. As Cougar Bus No. 13 cruised past Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights, several passengers – including head coach Robby Turner – noticed a Chariots for Hire charter disabled on the shoulder of the very busy highway.

A moment later, Turner’s cell phone rang. Paul VI coach Anne Marie Boyd was on the line. She explained her dilemma: her players and coaches were on that bus, and they were stranded. She asked Turner for a lift.

 

He didn’t hesitate.

 

By that time, the Cougars’ bus was turning off I-95 onto I-85 a few miles from its destination, but Yvonne Ellis, the driver, took the next off-ramp, made her way to the site of the breakdown, picked up Boyd’s crew, and hauled both squads to the venue where the game would be contested.

 

What could have been an awkward situation turned out to be anything but. In fact, it quickly evolved into a joyous occasion.

 

“The Paul VI girls were so appreciative,” Turner said. “They all said ‘Thank you so much’ when they got on and when they got off. Our girls were great too. It never would have crossed my mind not to help them out.”

 

Alas, the Panthers won 8-5, but the point was made.

 

Athletic competition at its best is not just about winning games and championships. It’s certainly not about one-upping your opponent. It’s about teaching valuable, time-honored life lessons.

 

Sure, winning is important. Very important, in fact. Who of us plays to lose, for gosh sakes? But success in the athletic arena – our take on it, anyway – is about fairness and decency and doing the right thing. It’s about setting the proper tone. It’s about shared experiences. It’s about dealing with pressure and overcoming fears. It’s about having a just-compete, no-excuses mentality and handling triumph and disappointment with grace and humility. It’s about playing hard and clean and respecting your opponent. It’s about understanding that games and matches and meets – important as they may seem at the moment – are merely preparation for the real challenges that life throws at us.

 

This year, the Virginia Prep League honored Collegiate with its Sportsmanship Award for the fourth time in the past five years. League coaches in football, basketball, winter track, lacrosse, and spring track also bestowed upon their Collegiate counterparts sportsmanship awards in their respective sports.

 

While these are Prep League honors, they also reflect the efforts of our girls teams – softball included – who competed in the League of Independent Schools as well as our parents and other supporters.

 

Good sportsmanship has always been an expectation at Collegiate. We’re not perfect, of course. We’ve definitely had our moments. Considering the intensity of the competition, though, the passion of our athletes and coaches, and the high standards of excellence they set for themselves, we’ve gotten much more right over the years than not.

 

“Being competitive and sportsmanlike are not exclusive,” said athletic director Karen Doxey. “You play hard. You turn around and pick the other guy up. That way, you’re creating respect. I’m very proud of our kids and how they react. There’s a lot of buy-in. We’re always attuned to sportsmanship and hold each other accountable. We always want to put our best foot forward. It comes back to our coaches. Sportsmanship means a lot to them. They aren’t saying, ‘We want to win an award.’ They’re saying, ‘I want my kids to respond in a great way.’”

 

Collegiate also finished second in the Director’s Cup standings, a worthy accomplishment considering the fact that only one team – tennis – won a league championship outright and football finished in a three-way tie for first.

 

“We’re not going to win every championship,” Doxey said, “but we’re getting the most out of our kids. Our coaches are trying to bring consistency and bring a process where we build upon what we do have rather than worry about what we don’t. We’re striving to be the best we can be, get the most out of our players, and literally make them a team. It’s a never-ending quest, really.”

   -- Weldon Bradshaw