A Little Thing Called Sportsmanship

This is the way the world should be. This is how politicians should act. This is how businesses should operate. This is how nations should behave.

In a collegiate softball game, Sara Tucholsky, a senior at Western Oregon University, hit her first ever home run. She missed firstbase and while stopping to return and touch it she injured her right knee so badly she could not stand up.

The rules insisted she circle the bases to get credit for the homer. The rules forbade her teammates from assisting her. Her coach couldn't help her; her teammates couldn't help. Mallory Holtman (Central Washington), firstbaseman and leader of the opposing team, approach the umpire. Could she help Sara. The umpire said there was nothing in the rule book to prevent the opposing team from helping an injured player.

So Mallory and a teammate (Liz Wallace) picked up their opponent and carried her around the bases. At each base they gently lowered Sara to allow her to touch the bag with her good leg. By the time they reached home plate both teams and the fans were crying. Sara's home run won the game for Western Oregon and eliminated Washington from the playoffs.

There is more to life than winning. People who live just to defeat their opponents have a shallow, meaningless existence. They may be wealthy and successful but they are morally bankrupt. Being only for our tribe or nation or religion or race, or even team, is to be selfish and inhuman. The true measure of our humanity is how we treat those people who are not "one of us."

Story source is the Associated Press. Photo credit to ESPN. Note to Mike, our Dad wanted me to send this story to you. Here it is.