April 4 -- I love college sports; I just do. It's such an excellent blend of talent, passion and amazing athletic theater that far surpasses the performances in the professional, highly paid arena of post-NCAA sports. These kids are playing to win, pure and simple. They are not in it for the money, not for the professional glory. They play because they love the game. March Madness never fails to find me sitting on the couch, glued to the tv and cheering on one favored team or another.
I will never forget the winter basketball season after our daughter Brianna died. Watching the UConn Huskies play Big East basketball and head for the Sweet 16 was a bright light in my otherwise grief-stricken days. It gave me something to hope for, to cheer for. As those boys and girls fought for their dream, I gained the courage to reach for mine. It wasn't until 1999, five years after Brianna died in my arms, that Calhoun won his first National basketball championship. But it was during the 1994/95 season that the UConn team finally got the national recognition they deserved.
And now, on the eve of our oldest son's decision to "play" ( learn!) at UConn, it seems only fitting that the boys basketball team would win the National Championship for the third time since 1999. It's all about faith, believing that you have the strength to get back into the game after you have taken a tough hit (of which there are many in life) and going for the win. Playing your best, studying your hardest, being the best you can be -- and, like Emily Dickinson's "hope"... continuously singing the tune without the words and never stopping at all.
Go UConn.
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