We lost, but it was worth the drive!

The YC basketball team made it to the quarterfinals in the national basketball tournament for the first time! What a great accomplishment.

One of the pleasures/responsibilities of this role is attending every student event we can. The last three weeks have included recitals, a play, regional basketball tournament, wrestling nationals and the basketball national tournament. Interspersed with those trips are other trips that had to be taken for college business. The highlights, however, are witnessing our students and their accomplishments.

​I missed Thursday and Friday games due to other obligations I had. When I got back home late Friday, LaRee and I watched our basketball team fight their way into the quarter finals of the national tournament. Saturday morning I got up and drove to Branson to watch the game. LaRee stayed in York, because the baseball team had two double headers this weekend that we also needed to attend (parents of all the teams will often ask LaRee which student is her child at athletic events, she always replies "all of them").

When I got to Branson, just in time for the game, I met the assistant coaches, local business people assigned to host our team. They all indicated that as far as character and manners, the York College team was at the top of the list of all the teams they had worked with in the last 14 years. As far as I was concerned, we had already won the national championship.

Our men lost, greatly aided by a key injury to Cameron Coleman in the first half. While the loss was hard on them, they kept their heads up and celebrated how far they had come. Tree Burkes, led them in a prayer after the post-game wrap up by Coach Deal.

I couldn't help but think of the fact that, while many of them are done with their basketball career, they experienced a lot more than wins and losses. The fact that YC impresses on them character, which in turn points them to Christ, gives them a perspective many never had before they came here. The lessons they learn about what is important and what others respect in them goes far beyond the physical abilities they have.

My hope for them is that they always remember that character is more important than accomplishment.

Go Panthers!