March Madness

There's a reason end-of-season basketball is called March Madness.

Even at grade-school level, games can get crazy.

A tournament St. Columbkille teams competed in last weekend exemplified some of the best and worst of that.

Many games went into overtime and double overtime, bringing out the best and worst in players, coaches, fans and referees. Most of it was good: good competition, effort and enthusiasm. But there were bad moments too. A coach and referee got into a brawl, parents criticized referees, referees became confrontational, coaches yelled at kids, etc.

But beyond all that, there were some exceptional moments of athletic competition. Two incidents in particular transcended sports and made me proud to be Catholic and part of a faith-filled community like St. Columbkille. Both involved our fourth-grade boys teams.

The first:

The two fourth-grade teams had to compete against each other in their third game of the tournament. As a parent, I kind of dreaded that match up, fearing the game might become too competitive, pitting friends and classmates against each other. I was running late for the game, but on the way there I prayed that, win or lose for my son, good sportsmanship, friendship and camaraderie would prevail.

My prayer was answered in a big way. Before I got there, players and coaches from both teams joined together for prayer, a Hail Mary while holding hands in a circle. Blue and white jerseys intermingled in the circle. The opposing coach held my son's hand.

The game was intense, bringing out the best in the boys. The victory was by one point, in double overtime. But that last point was amazing.

Lane McMillan was fouled with about 10 seconds to go. He knew one free throw shot would break the tie and probably seal the game. He ran to the free throw line before other players got in position, dropped to his knees, made the sign of the cross and pointed up. Then he readied himself, and swished the ball through the net.

His moment of faith was witnessed by a packed gym, including teams and fans waiting for the next game.

Both teams gathered after the game for photos of all the fourth-graders together. Coaches had stressed good sportsmanship, and the boys seemed to have no problem with that, playing and joking around like normal. So much for my worries.

The second incident:

My son's team, the winner of the St. Columbkille vs. St. Columbkille game, advanced to more competition, but eventually they lost, placing third overall. But even the loss ended up pretty sweet. The St. Columbkille team was being beaten handily; in the final moments of the game knew they couldn't avoid the final outcome. But one thing was left unfinished for the team: one player hadn't had many opportunities to score. So the coach and players made sure he got the ball as the game wound down.

He got an open look -- and sank the ball into the net. Everyone cheered. It was a bright ending to an otherwise dismal loss.

Sports can be crazy, but they give people a chance to shine. Sometimes that happens in the most pleasing, unexpected and faith-filled ways.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.