Sometimes you hear a story that just hits you. It inspires you, it warms your heart, it brings a tear to your eye. There’s just such a story which has been making the rounds for little more than a year now, one that seems to inspire everyone it touches. It’s the story of a remarkable gesture by a school athlete and her team, illustrating grace, generosity, sportsmanship and character. We didn’t hear about the event when it occurred in the spring of 2008, but Sports Illustrated recently revisited events in an article entitled The Way It Should Be. Someone sent this to us a few weeks ago, but it sat in the “to read” folder of our bookmarks gathering dust. Fortunately, we finally read it and we urge you not to dally the way we did because it is well worth your time. If you prefer, we’ve found a video clip which you can access below.
This story brings to life the old adage about it not being whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Mallory Holtman and her teammates were nominated as Sportsman of the Year for 2008 – an honor that eventually went to Michael Phelps, although we think Holtman would have been a better role model for our times. As the voices in DC and in the town meetings get louder and more strident during the public healthcare debate, we can’t help but think that our political leaders could learn something about leadership, grace, and noblesse oblige from these remarkable girls. And so could we all.
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