I'm a sucker when it comes to one of those lump-in-the-throat sports stories.
Whether it's Knute Rockne and the Fighting Irish, "Brian's Song", or watching my daughter's 12 and Under softball team crawl out of the losers bracket to make it all the way to a tournament final. If it's about people working hard, doing their best, and never giving up, I want to cheer and reach for the Kleenex.
Last night I saw a story on the news that prompted me to write this today. Maybe I'm biased because it happened in a girls' fastpitch softball game (and I loves me some fastpitch softball) but for those of you who haven't heard let me be the first to tell it.
Central Washington University played Western Oregon on Saturday in the NCAA's Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament. It was a double-header, and at stake was which team would advance to the next round. Western won the first game, putting the pressure on Central to keep its postseason hopes still alive.
In the second inning, Western Oregon had two runners on base when up stepped the rightfielder, Sara Tucholsky. With a batting average of .156, she was struggling with her concentration the whole game because of a group of college guys in the bleachers who were heckling her since warm-ups. Now she was up to bat, and she tried hard to tune out the catcalls and name-calling being hurled her way. Her powers of concentration paid off---she caught a fastball low on the outside corner and "gave it a ride" straight out to centerfield, up high and heading for the fence. She nailed it---her first home run ever.
It would mean three runs for Western Oregon, and the exuberant Sara took off running full speed for first base. But as she ran past the bag something happened: something ripped in her knee, and she fell in agony to the ground. Sara had hit a home run but she was face down in the infield unable to get up and run the distance around the bases. She had missed touching first base, but in so much pain now, she was unable to get up and keep running. Sarah wanted this home run more than anything in the world, and she would do whatever she could to finish this race. Her coach couldn't help her---to assist in any way, to touch her meant to forfeit the runs. The rulebook says that a player cannot be assisted by their team around the bases. But Sarah had worked too long and too hard to give this up, and so she fought against the anguish, the exhaustion, and yes, the catcalls and jeers from the boys on the bench. Slowly, she started to crawl back to first base, so she could touch it, so she could begin that long journey around all the bases. To get that home run that she deserved.
People watched from the stands as Sara struggled, arduously crawling forward, little by little, inch by painful inch. Her uniform was stained from the dirt, her knee in wrenching pain, but her heart was determined like that of a champion. There were those who watched that were touched by Sara's grit, and there were those also who wanted her to fail.
That's when the player at first base stepped up.
Mallory Holtman is considered the greatest softball player to have ever played at Central Washington. A true competitor, she is the conference's leading all-time home run hitter. This was a game her team had to win in order to go forward. But there are times when we are challenged as human beings to reach greater heights than we ever thought possible. Sometimes we are capable of reaching beyond our own selfish wants to do something with no bigger payoff than simply knowing we did the right thing. It's called being a true champion.
That's what Mallory Holtman became that day.
There is nothing in the rulebook that says the opposition can't help a fallen player from the other team. And that's what Holtman did. She hurried out to help Sarah, to help her make that home run happen, the home run Holtman knew belonged to this valiant player,
"In the end, it is not about (us) winning or losing so much," Holtman said. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain and she deserved a home run..."
Here's what's even more amazing.
As Holtman helped Sarah struggle her way to first base, another player, a Central Washington shortstop named Liz Wallace, tossed her glove to the dirt and also hurried over to help. Together, these two players from the opposing team lifted Sarah up and carried her carefully base by base, from first base all the way around the field, and finally to homeplate.
Sarah deserved the home run.
She had worked hard, she had endured ridicule, and pain, but she never quit. In fact, it invigorated her, made her work harder, made her more focused, so much so that her tenacity inspired others. Inspired them to do something possibly greater than what was being asked of them in the game:
To do the right thing.
To take the noble path.
I thought of Hillary when I heard this story.
She's had her share of hecklers in the stands.
The bias in the media has been relentless.
She's fallen several times rounding first.
But she's managed to get up, to work impossibly hard, filled each time with a renewed sense of dedication to doing her job, to working hard for the American people.
She's hit the ball hard, and it's heading for the fence. She deserves the home run. But she needs that one special player to stand up for her, to give her a hand. To acknowledge what she's done, and how far she's come, and how much more she can do to make us all a better people. A nation defined in greatness again.
One special player needs to reach out to her.
And the voters will help carry her the rest of the way home.
|
|
|
Permalink :: 64 Comments :: Post a Comment
|
In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.
If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.
