Allow me to share with you one of the most touching moments in sports
I've ever heard about. It took place at a women's softball game on April
26, 2008. Central Washington and Western Oregon faced off against each
other, with the winner to receive a bid to the NCAA's Division II
playoffs.
Sara Tucholsky, a Western Oregon player, came to the
plate in the second inning with the score tied 0-0 and two runners on
base . Sara had never hit a home run in her lifetime. However, things
were about to change. She connected on a pitch and hit the ball over the
center field fence. Due to her excitement, she missed first base. So she
stopped and turned to go back to the base. But when she made the sudden
stop and turn, she collapsed to the ground, having torn her ACL.
Her first base coach wanted to run out and help her, but if she touched
Sara, she would have been counted out. As Sara lay on the ground,
umpires conferred and determined that the best thing to do was to allow
Western Oregon to substitute a pinch runner at first base (which would
have canceled the home run).
The coach prepared to make the
substitution when she heard a voice: "Excuse me, would it be OK if we
carried her around and she touched each bag?" You see, in softball, a
teammate can't touch a player while running the bases, but there's no
rule that says the opponents can't touch her. So Mallory Holtman and Liz
Wallace, two players on the opposing team offered to carry Sara around
the bases so that her home run would not be counted as a single. These
two players gently picked up Sara, and carried her around the bases,
allowing her to tap each base along the way. After reaching home plate,
these two girls handed Sara off to her own teammates.
When asked
later why she did it, Mallory Holtman said, "Honestly, it's one of those
things that I hope anyone would do it for me..." In other words, she was
practicing the "Golden Rule" -- "Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you."
There's not much I can add to a touching story like
that. May it serve as an inspiration to find ways in your own life to
look for people who could use a hand. When we are less concerned about
"winning" than we are about helping others, we can truly begin to
reflect Jesus Christ in our lives.
"Therefore, whatever you want
men to do for you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the
Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)
Alan Smith
Innisfil, ON, Canada
