I write often about how sports mirrors life. With the Final 4 this weekend I couldn’t help but think how both the men’s and women’s tournament have shown this.
On Friday we saw the undefeated and favorite to repeat South Carolina women’s team lose to Iowa. The men’s final 4 only has one basketball “blue blood” if you consider UConn that and had 3 first time teams in it with Miami, FAU and San Diego State. Definitely not the Final 4 anyone expected. FAU held the lead most of the game Saturday but missed some shots in their final possessions and lost on a buzzer beater to San Diego State.
I bring up all these unexpected results because that is what makes sports so great. You never know what will happen in a given game even with a team that is heavily favored to win. The unpredictability of sports is what makes it so exciting and fun.
And isn’t life the same way? We may have predictable jobs and days but aren’t the changes and things we don’t expect what make life so interesting. If our jobs and every day were so predictable, we would be bored and have nothing to look forward to. The unpredictability is what makes life more fun but also more challenging.
Things may seem like they are going well but we get hit with a sudden curveball. I was seemingly healthy and preparing for my fifth child and was diagnosed with breast cancer. I didn’t have much warning and suddenly had to adjust my entire life to focus on my health and treatment and the health of my baby. This was not fun but the challenge made me a stronger person and showed me I can get through anything.
Another thing this year’s NCAA Tournament is that it showed the little guys can win and succeed. San Diego State upset Alabama, one of the most talented teams in the country. FDU a #16 seed upset Purdue the #1 seed. Princeton a 15 seed upset #2 Arizona and then Missouri to reach the Sweet 16.
These upsets show us that anything is possible on a given day. They show us that a much smaller opponent can in fact beat a team or something much bigger and better. We have a chance.
So no matter how daunting the task or day is we can overcome it. Sometimes we come up short, some days we struggle through, and sometimes we come out on top. But as long as we are here we have a chance and the opportunity to make the most of that given day, no matter how challenging it may be.
#sportsmirrorslife #finalfour #upsets #lifeisunpredictable #theresachance
