On Saturday night, the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team earned its 28th consecutive home win at Whalen Gymnasium.
However, over the course of the game, it wasn’t just the impeccable record that caught my attention. It was the pure and raw sense of community and togetherness that this team embodies that really resonated with me. I found myself sitting in the stands of more than just a basketball game, and what I witnessed was truly heartwarming.
The team was getting ready to come out of the locker room to warm up. When I looked that direction I saw two little boys, who looked no older than eight years old, waiting for them to emerge.
These boys stood at the end of the bleachers with their hands out to high-five the players as they ran by. Each time one of the players high-fived them, the boys both paused to looked at each other, and their hands, and smiled. It was like they had just touched Superman, and this reaction happened with each player they encountered. Their excitement and enthusiasm after every high-five never faded.
I watched the boys stand behind the chairs where the players sit to watch them warm up before the game. These boys were so infatuated with the team that I couldn’t look away. It was in that moment that I realized something. I realized that it is about more than just the numbers. Yes, 28 consecutive home wins is an extraordinary accomplishment, but the players have accomplished so much more.
They should be proud of the impact that they have on a community that rallies behind them for every game. I watched those two boys look at each of the players as their idol. To them, it didn’t matter about the number of home wins or the number of points on the scoreboard because they were just happy to be there; happy they got to high-five the team that inspired them, not with their record, but their hearts.
Kayla Cata
Durango
