The Other Side of the Madness

This evening I watched the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship game which featured the Michigan Tech University Lady Huskies and the State University.  My brother currently attends Michigan Tech currently so I had a clear favorite going into the game.

It was a really close 1st half, but unfortunately Clayton State proved to be too much for the Lady Huskies, who ended up losing 69-50.  After the time expired, the cameras showed Clayton State celebrating their win at center court, but then it panned over to the Michigan Tech bench.  They had to stay out on the court for the official trophy presentation so they were sitting on the bench, some crying, some just watching the other team celebrate with blank looks on their faces.  

It's the other side of March Madness that the ESPN doesn't cover.  When you have a tournament with 64 teams in the end you will have 1 winner and 63 losers.  63 teams go back home with a sour taste in their mouth.  The coaches and underclassmen start preparing for next year, but for most of the seniors who play Division I and perhaps all but a handful of those who play Division II and Division III, it will be the last time they take off their jersey.  The last time they pack up their bag and get back on the bus.  The last long road trip home.  And the next morning they will wake up and realize they are no longer NCAA athletes.  They are just regular people moving on to the next adventure in life.

I was very fortunate to play NCAA Division III basketball at Huntingdon College.  I had the time of my life for 4 years and got to play a game I love with some amazing people when I was there, but at some point it had to end and I had to move on.  I remember the end of my basketball career vividly.  The last game I played was on February 20, 2007 (coincidentally my 22nd birthday...awful I know).  I was the only senior that year so I went through that rite of passage alone.  I remember sitting in the locker room at LaGrange College by myself crying and crying. I didn't want to take my jersey off because I knew that was it.  I would never put it back on.  It's one of the worst feelings I have ever felt, but it's all part of the game.  

Me in my playing days.

It's like the NCAA commercial says, "There are over 400,000 NCAA athletes, and almost all of us are going pro in something other than sports."  I have may become something other than a professional basketball player, but I know that my four years as a Lady Hawk shaped who I am today.

Some of the Lady Hawks at our 2009 Alumni Game...Did I mention I LOVE these girls?!?!