Team Play

Last night the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team beat Syracuse. It was a tight game with Syracuse leading at the half by two points. The game was a one-point affair with about fifteen minutes remaining. Eventually the Hoos (as they’re affectionately called around here) ran away from the Orange, put in their bench players, and won by 26 points.

I’ve been following this team closely for roughly the past dozen years. The program that the head coach, Tony Bennett, has created and maintained astonishes me each year. Of course the winning makes them an easy program to root for, however, beyond that, the UVA players seem to be quality young men being led by a quality man. Whenever my family or I have seen them around town, both players and coaches graciously talk with fans, willingly take pictures, and politely accommodate any fans requests. On the court, they exemplify team play by showing how the sum is greater than the individual parts. They play team defense helping when a teammate gets beat. They move the ball around on offense, pass up on good shots to take better shots, and set up their teammates with screens and movement. They fight together. They win together. They lose together.

I dream that the “teams” in my life persevere together similarly- my family team, my work team, my friend team.