Something important to remember about sports is it can be so much more than what the scoreboard reads. Up there, someone is going to be seen as a winner and the other side is going to be reflected as having lost, or come up short if you want to use a nicer phrase.
But sometimes everyone is a winner - and sometimes everyone loses. It can happen at the same time, as was recently demonstrated in an evening of basketball when the Willow Park Trinity Christian Eagles and Lady Eagles hosted the Arlington Pantego Christian Panthers and Lady Panthers recently.
On the court, the teams split their games, the TCA girls and Pantego boys winning. However, this was one of those times when, long after the scores are forgotten, those in the gym, including myself, will remember something that made a far greater impression.
It was a player who was not on the court that evening who garnered the most attention. I’d like to tell you it was because she set some sort of record or was being honored for a career achievement or something of that ilk, but that would simply not be so.
In early February Pantego Lady Panther Hannah McDaniel and her mother Brandi died in an automobile accident on Interstate 20 just outside of Big Spring. They were returning from a basketball game in Midland, and instead of riding the bus with her teammates, Hannah chose to spend that lengthy time on the road having some quality time with her mother.
She and her mother would have been proud of what the folks at Trinity Christian did for them this night. With Hannah’s dad, Mark McDaniel, painfully watching in attendance, they remembered his daughter and wife and honored them in a variety of ways.
Between the girls and boys games, the teams and whoever else wanted to join in, grabbed hands and formed a prayer circle around the court. It was a moving moment, reminding us that even though we may not know someone, our job is to love all people and when one suddenly leaves this world, we all mourn.
It hurts to lose someone, and it hurts vicariously even if we aren’t the one who lost someone dear. Their hurt reminds us of how we will feel someday when our parents, grandparents, or - God forbid - a child such as Hannah is suddenly called from this world.
Children should never precede their parents in death. Never, never, never, no, no, no, never.
Along with the prayer circle, no admission was charged. Instead, donations were taken up for a scholarship Pantego started in Hannah’s memory.
Oh, yeah, all this took place on TCA Senior Night. The players, parents and coaches all sacrificed what was meant to be their special evening. Though, if you look at it closer, what they did proved just how special they are.
After all, sacrifice is one of the key words when it comes to how we treat our fellow human beings. Sacrifice and love - and TCA showed both of those in abundance on this evening.
“We’re just doing what we can to remember them,” TCA Athletic Director Cody McKenzie said humbly.
For the record, they don’t come much nicer than McKenzie. As examples for students go, he’s at the top of the list - and it’s exactly for nights such as this.
“The time you have in this world is precious. That’s a wakeup call,” McKenzie added.
Various local companies pitched in to donate water, food and even print shirts with Pantego’s logo - that were worn by TCA students and fans as a sign of support.
In addition, the district in which TCA and Pantego compete, did likewise with raising money for Hannah’s scholarship. Goodness, however it begins, can be contagious, and somehow I believe that would bring a smile to the faces of Hannah and Brandi to see that being the case in the wake of their tragedy.
Pantego Athletic Director Jeff Kemp summed up what TCA did in two words.
“Pure class,” Kemp said.
He continued by adding, “Everything was thought through and done with a compassionate touch. It was a night where there were ‘random acts of kindness’ being displayed everywhere you looked. It is something as an athletic director, coach, father and fan that I will never forget. Thank you to all the players, coaches, parents, school board, booster club and administrators from TCA that made this night so special at such a dark moment.”
As someone who previously wrote about Pantego Christian years ago for another publication, let me say they know class when they see it.
Personally, this evening made me stop down and go back in my memories to a time when my own children were still young and excited about the adult life ahead of them. I was fortunate enough to see them reach adulthood and still be a part of this world.
In the many times I’ve spoken to my children since, I often think of how Mark McDaniel must feel, the words he longs to say to his daughter and wife, the hugs he wants to give them. He will feel an emptiness I hope I never know.
Most folks my age now turn to their grandchildren for childhood joy. My precious Zoe, Gracie and Wren are still learning about life, and someday I’m sure each will be a beloved teammate just as Hannah was.
One of my favorite Garth Brooks’ songs is titled “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” It reminds us to tell and show those around us just how much we love them because we just never know when it will be the last chance we have to do so.
So, hug your children, grandchildren and anyone else you hold dear. Tell them you love them.
Even if we don’t play on the same team, we are all in the same world.
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