Sports... and Relationships

The analogy of sports to life keeps me riveted to a lot of the college and professional games.  Whether it’s football, baseball, basketball, or track—I’m not school or geography specific—I’m captured.  What pulls me in is the “behind the scenes” facts that make up the real story.

I started baseball season cheering for the Detroit Tigers.  That’s probably because I’ve always been a fan of the coach, Jim Leyland, who used to be with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  When Pittsburgh had no budget and a young temperamental Barry Bonds, Leyland almost got them to the World Series.  He put up with a lot, and did it with grace, so there was a lot to admire there.  Plus, Detroit has so many struggles…(city and baseball team) …you couldn’t help but hope for them.

But starting off the fall, I returned to cheering for Clemson football mostly because of the young new coach, Dabo Swinney.  He has a compelling story, having been a near orphan, taken in as a child and raised by the former Clemson football coach.  He’s earnest, likable, and humble.

Dabo grew up to become the assistant football coach at Clemson …and then was promoted last year to head coach.  Unfortunately, they lost more games than they won in his first season at the helm.  So when they started off winning 8 out of 8 games this fall, climbing rapidly in the national rankings, you can imagine the mounting enthusiasm.  However, on one game a few weeks ago, they lost to Georgia Tech…a game they were highly favored to win.  With a lot of fumbles, missed calls, and interceptions…it wasn’t pretty.

What did I take away from that?  Certainly the loss was a solemn one.  Clemson was one of only 10 teams to be unbeaten until then.  For 8 weeks it was thrilling to see Dabo held in such high regard.  The whole state had been shaking to the thrill of it all.  But what I remember most was…in the middle of the Georgia game, when Clemson was behind by two touchdowns, one of the replacement players made two serious errors.  When the player came out of the game, Swinney put his hands on the young man’s head, looked in his eyes, and talked to him in an encouraging supportive way.  He patted him on the back before the guy slumped to the bench.

That’s what I took away.  In the tremendous stress of the moment—especially when blame and anger could have been thrown at the player—the coach was a rare and kind human being.

In the worst of times—in the best of times—and especially in a relationship when it feels like your whole life is on the line…what kind of human being are you?

I seriously doubt there isn’t one of us who hasn’t struggled with that one.

Very best,
Tonja