Inspiration Continued

Never underestimate the power of inspiration.  All of the things I’ve listed so far lead up to this final point. Sports showcase the very best within us.  It shows us the will to win.  It reminds us that anyone with a common goal can find ways to work together.  It demonstrates the power of the underdog and the folly of underestimating our opponents. It’s inspiring, and when we’re inspired, we’re motivated.  In those quirky little moments inside our own heads, we remember how common sense was trumped by sheer will.  We remember how nothing is ever as certain as it may seem, and we use that motivation to make something positive happen in our lives. Sound hokey?  It may sound that way, and maybe it is just a little.  But at the same time, it can be those hokey little motivations that pull us above our station.  It’s those cheap little inspirations that give us the courage to meet head-on what we might ordinarily be afraid to face.  Sports remind of us our limitations, but also show us how to overcome them.  College football is a sport of young men who have barely experienced the world.  They’re fresh out of high school and have largely been sheltered by one institution or another.  And yet, despite their youth and despite their inexperience, they show us what is possible within all of us.  Sports will likely never solve any of the world’s greatest problems.  Wars won’t be averted over a simple game of football or a rousing match of cricket.  Diseases won’t go away just because we compete in America’s pastime.  Hunger won’t subside because two people entered a tennis court and dueled it out over several sets.  Life doesn’t work that way. However, sports can do more than entertain or provide an escape.  They’re more than just a way to pass the time.  They are a microcosm of the struggles we face every day, played out in a fashion that leaves few lasting damages.  They’re hope, inspiration and life-lessons, all rolled into a contest that means nothing on the grander scale.  Just because the outcome may mean nothing on the grander scale however, doesn’t mean that a game is “just a game.” It is always more than a game involving sports.