My son’s coach’s pitch youth baseball team has already lost its first four games to start the season. I have been wondering if they will ever win a game this season. But my perspective on that has changed a little bit after seeing this excellent “Outside the Lines” report on ESPN Sunday.
I couldn’t help but feel inspired after watching this story about a small high school girls basketball team in Tennessee, which has lost more than 230 consecutive games. The girls of Carroll Academy come from troubled backgrounds in rural Tennessee and are essentially being forced to attend their state-run alternative school with the hopes of preparing them for a return or entry to their regular school.
Many of them are being told to play basketball by a judge as well. The girls are not athletes. They are just teenage girls looking for a path through difficult times in their life. The school uses basketball as a way of bringing stability to their lives.
While watching my son’s youth baseball games, I have to pause and remember it’s about playing the game, not how well you play. His team shows no signs of being able to win a game. What I worry about with my son’s team is that he will no longer have fun as the losses mount day after day. At 7 years old, he keeps track of the score and it matters to him. He is already competitive.
I don’t think the girls of Carroll Academy are having much fun playing basketball, but after watching the ESPN piece I realize that sports is about developing lifelong friendships as well. When you see these girls, they have that.