Sportsmanship Defined
It is stories like this one that allow me to continue to care about athletic competition. ESPN's Graham Hays writes about an outstanding act of sportsmanship worthy of a great deal of attention:
Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky had never hit a home run in her career. Central Washington senior Mallory Holtman was already her school's career leader in them. But when a twist of fate and a torn knee ligament brought them face to face with each other and face to face with the end of their playing days, they combined on a home run trot that celebrated the collective human spirit far more than individual athletic achievement.
This is truly an outstanding story.
Update: The New York Times' George Vecsey writes about this story in tomorrow's paper, available on line now. As Vecsey writes:
Something remarkable happened in a college softball game last Saturday in Ellensburg, Wash. At least, I am conditioned to think it was remarkable, since it involved an act of sportsmanship, with two players helping an injured opponent complete the home run she had just slugged.