See this week's best from the high school hardwood.
The coronavirus pandemic is cutting high school sports seasons and
careers short. In the coming days and weeks, MaxPreps is putting the
spotlight on some of those stories via our 'Extending the Season'
series.
In the blink of an eye, it was gone.
Your last game. Your senior season. Your high school career.
A month ago, it seemed inconceivable, and you probably wouldn't believe it if we'd told you. But things have changed rapidly.
Years from now, we hope, you will find solace, meaning and purpose from what our country and the world are going through.
We know you did not ask for it, yet many of you are paying the price.
We know you'd give anything for one last free throw, at-bat or team bus ride.
For many of you, there will be no more "one mores."
Championships denied, seasons erased, dreams unfulfilled.
And for that, we're crushed.
There comes a time in every athlete's life when the finale comes. For some, it's senior night in high school, while a fortunate few get to live their dreams in college and perhaps even the pros.
But sports do come to an end.
The thrill of winning a championship was taken away from teams in more than 20 states due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo by Ted McClenning
The painful part is many had no time to prepare, no forewarning that your last game was truly your last.
Make no mistake, these are extraordinary times.
Many high school seniors entered the world around the time of the 9/11 tragedy and are set to enter adulthood in the midst of a global pandemic.
Most of us have never imagined something so disruptive to our daily existence.
All of it shows that if one thing is certain, it's that nothing is certain.
But the hope is our collective steps will lessen the severity of our situation – that lives will be saved by our sacrifices.
Perhaps the best thing about sports are the lessons its teaches us – teamwork, hard work, perseverance.
And maybe the intersection of the coronavirus and sports is teaching all of us one of life's most important lesson: Never take anything for granted.
We don't know what the future holds – in regular times and in extraordinary ones like what we're experiencing now.
So, when the time comes for all of us to get back to normalcy, embrace life.
Live like it might be your last practice, your last bus ride, your last game.
Be invested – no matter your role, be the best teammate, husband/wife, parent you can.
Be present – as the late coach John Wooden wrote "Make each day your masterpiece."
Be fearless – never be afraid to take that last shot.
You never know when the last one might be.
