Sports aren’t only about winning or losing.
Sometimes, they’re about putting yourself out there and showing vulnerability, no matter the situation.
On Friday night in Delavan, the Burlington and Delavan-Darien girls basketball teams gave one inspirational player the chance to live out her dream of playing high school basketball.
Not only did April Shaffer play against the Demons, the Delavan-Darien senior scored a basket and received a standing ovation from both crowds for her efforts.
Shaffer, a special education student at DDHS, has been the team’s manager the past four seasons.
She has always had a dream of playing with the team, so Delavan-Darien head coach Hank Johnson did something special for Senior Night.
It wouldn’t have been possible without the kindness and sportsmanship displayed by Burlington coach Mary Parker, who agreed to allow Shaffer to get off some shots without making it look obvious.
Shaffer took a few shots in the game that were right on target but just missed.
Then, in the fourth quarter, as Burlington held a 30-point lead, the crowd chanted, “Let’s go April.” While the chant was still going on, Shaffer grabbed a rebound around half-court and started dribbling it the other way.
She took the ball all the way to the hoop and banked in a running shot. Coach Johnson called a timeout, and both the Delavan and Burlington crowds gave Shaffer a standing ovation.
Despite the lopsided score, it was Shaffer’s moment, and everyone in the building realized the final score of the game was completely insignificant.
Several Burlington players shook Shaffer’s hand to congratulate her later in the game, and it was an amazing, once-in-a-season moment that’s refreshing considering all of the scandals and bad stories about athletes nowadays.
I saw the final score Friday night and thought nothing of the game, other than the fact that Burlington surpassed their 2014 win total with a complete victory.
But on Monday, Johnson and the interim principal at Delavan-Darien sent the thank-you letter to the Burlington High School administration, and the letter was tweeted. It spread like wildfire, as the letter was re-tweeted about 100 times.
Also, Facebook blew up Monday as the Delavan-Darien School District posted the letter in gratitude to the Demons.
Former Green Bay Packers player LeRoy Butler shared the post, and it has received nearly 5,000 likes and 2,000 shares.
Even local television picked up the story, as TMJ4 traveled all the way out to Delavan and interviewed Shaffer.
“I want to say thank you to the Burlington girls for being so respectful to me,” Shaffer said in a TMJ4 article.
In about 30 seconds, young women from Delavan and Burlington learned more about life and sportsmanship and doing the right thing than they had probably ever learned in their previous basketball careers.
Not everyone is going to be the star player. Not everyone gets to play the entire game. In fact, some don’t even get to play at all.
But Shaffer showed everyone the basic, wholesome principles of sports – you play the game because you love it, and the final score never really matters in real life. Winning is fun, yes, but you always respect your opponent above all.
Shaffer was determined. She missed shots in the game, but her passion and desire allowed her to bounce back and keep trying.
She put herself out there. Sure, Shaffer could’ve missed every shot by a mile, and it may not have felt good or looked all that good. She had never played in a game before after all.
But she didn’t care. All she wanted was a chance to play. For four years, she sat on the bench and cheered on the team, dreaming of the day when she could make a bucket just like them.
Renowned motivational speaker Brene Brown once said, “There’s nothing more daring than showing up, putting ourselves out there and letting ourselves be seen.”
Shaffer did exactly that Friday night, showing the whole world that she may be the team manager and technically isn’t on the roster, but she can dribble, rebound and shoot and score just like everybody else.
Shaffer showed up and showed out, proving that if we simply just put ourselves out there and try, good things can happen.
Her courageous night is an inspiration to every boy and girl who dreams of making the big shot but maybe thinks they aren’t good enough to make it happen; the young girl that dreams someone will ask her to dance but fears she isn’t pretty enough; or even the misunderstood teen who fears he or she isn’t smart enough to get into college.
Shaffer went out on a limb and did something she had never done before. Her bravery confirms that anything is possible and no obstacle is too high.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Some of life’s best moments are waiting on the other side.
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