Write Field: 'Tournament Time'

The basketball fever of “March Madness” can infect us all. It’s a great time of the year for hometown excitement and community involvement. Enjoy the fun, but use the time to teach good life lessons.

Tournament Time

It’s tournament time; our joy depends

On the bouncing of a ball,

The blowing of a whistle,

And how the free throws fall.

We send our kids out on the floor

With hopes of the whole hometown.

The outcome of the evening game

Makes us smile or frown.

The pressure builds up every week.

It grows each time we win.

To miss an evening in the stands

Is really quite a sin.

Is it fair to load this

On the children of our town?

Do they feel it’s all their fault

If we are let down?

I think it all depends on why

We gather in the stands.

Do we come to feel good,

To shout and clap our hands?

To see our friends and watch the show

Out there on the floor,

With no personal agenda;

Or is there something more?

For if we only feel okay

On those nights we win,

The anger and frustration

Soon will do us in.

We need to look inside ourselves

And watch the things we say.

Let the children all be sure

We came to watch them play.

We need to keep the game a game.

It needs to be for fun.

Not a place to make up for

Things we should have done.

If we somehow want our kids

To be something we weren’t,

You can really count on this —

Someone will get burnt.

If, however, we can cheer

For things done on the courts,

Without concern for what’s the score,

Or what color are the shorts.

Then we can watch our children play

And teach them there’s no shame.

Win or lose, be proud you tried.

It’s only just a game.