In Search of the Human Spirit

So many times you hear of parents getting involved in their children’s sport teams for the worse.  Then you hear about kids who behave badly out on the field or after a game.  These people from Danville, California, know the meaning of true sportsmanship.

Two high school basketball teams made it to the NorCal Division I Championship game.  One team, Monte Vista, comes from a well to do school district.  The other, McClymond’s, comes from a cash strapped barely have a sports program that survives district.  In the tournament, McClymond’s beat Monte Vista 46-43.  Monte Vista went home to Danville dejected and defeated.  McClymond’s went on to the California Interscholastic Federation Division I State Title game.

McClymond’s didn’t have enough money to get the kids to Sacramento for the over night stay.  The coach had been spending his own money on the team all season and couldn’t pay for the trip.  The team would have to drive up to Sacramento the same day of the game and drive back home right after. The money wasn’t there.

Some parents at Monte Vista heard about McClymond’s problems.  The parents and students arranged a donation drive and collected $1,100 to help the team that beat them get to the State Championship.

It turns out the district had enough money for the trip and that there was some sort of miscommunication. They have sent back the donation with a big thank you.

It goes to show that people have a heart.  Hopefully, the kids on both teams came away with a positive message from this incident.  It isn’t always about winning.  It’s about helping each other out.