David and Goliath

Many people appear to be entertained by observing someone overcome fierce odds and defeating adversity to meet with success, whether it's a final episode of American Idol or watching a movie like Hoosiers, or Rudy. I know I've always been attracted to rooting for the underdog. There's no doubt that my childhood experiences contributing to that perspective. I never let my parent's lack of high school diploma's interfere with my path to acquiring a doctorate. Nor did I allow growing up on welfare prevent me from attending Harvard. I might have been the shortest boy in my high school class but I was the captain of the basketball team and the squad's starting point guard.

This last reference to basketball steers us to tonight's Blog. Our varsity girl's basketball team received the number three seed for the upcoming sectional playoffs. Our high school has the smallest enrollment of all high schools in Section II. During the regular season the team routinely competes against schools that are two or three times the size of Heatly. For the second year in a row the girls went undefeated in league contests. The lone loss recorded in the entire 18 game campaign was experienced in a non-league tournament game versus a much larger school.

So, we find ourselves about to engage with more difficult competitors representing larger schools next week. This match reminds me of the adage I learned while living in Texas when people assessed two rivals of distinctly different sizes - "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

Our girls are winners. They have earned recognition as scholar-athletes for their collective grade point average as members of the soccer team and basketball team. They are active and constructive contributors to all facets of our high school, from student council to community service. They are very nice young ladies with pleasant personalities and sweet smiles. But, on the basketball court they are tenacious and persistent competitors who make willing sacrifices to encounter success.

I like our chances.

Go Lady Hornets!!