Spider Nation!

5:04pm October 22, 2021

I never played a team sport. As a kid and a young adult, I showed horses. And now I run. In both cases the results depend on me, I have no one to let down but myself. But I had horses that misbehaved, and I have had bad runs, so I understand loss. 

I remember showing my horse at a Regional Championship in Perry, Georgia. There were 60 horses in my class. They only picked the top five. My goal was just to look like I belonged. I was so nervous I couldn't watch the other horses warm up. I turned around and stared at the fence until it was time to get on. I am sure my horse felt my nerves. 

Our kids have played on teams that win, but most often their teams don't. And our kids lose with grace. They really are good losers! They manage to find the good in what they did, learn from it and move on. No one goes to bed mad because they lost. 

But tonight, the Concord Spiders play for the SPC conference championship. They are 5-0 in the conference. They have won more games this year than in the previous two combined. These boys work hard, they love each other and they lift each other up.

It is two hours until game time. I hope they are laughing in the field house. I hope they had a meal they all enjoyed. I hope some good music is playing. I hope they aren't as nervous as I am. I hope by the end of the night each and everyone of them can say they left it all out there. I hope they can say, "That was a good game." And as time goes on, I hope they remember how much fun they had. I hope they laugh about things they said and did. I hope they smile and tell people they bleed black and gold. I hope they say with pride, "I am a Spider."

I hope they all continue to hug me when they see me. I hope they always look up to their coaches. I hope they tell their kids how much being on a team like this meant to them. I hope their kids are the great sports these boys are. 

As parents if we learn anything from this, we learn that win or lose being part of a team is one of the greatest experiences of your life. We need to celebrate the love our child has for their team. And we all should remember supporting someone is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. 

Go Spiders! Play hard, play smart and keep it classy! I will be cheering for you. I will always be cheering for you.

10:51pm

And they won! It was a great game. The stands were packed. The band was great, the cheerleaders were great. And these boys left it all on the field. They earned the win. They will always remember this game, this season and these teammates. 

And now on to the Bell Game, and my wish is the same...