Hanging Back

After basketball practice on Friday I found myself sitting on the shady part of the courts with some of the other coaches. We just sat around and talked story for at least an hour, until the sun began to set and we had no choice but to pick up our tired legs and head home. As we sat there we talked about all things teaching-related that really irked us- the long hours, difficult parents, troubled students, and the other thankless aspects of the job.

"I don't know how you can do it for another year," one of the other coaches said. I nodded my head in agreement. Beats me, I thought.

Every once in a while, you get a reminder.

There's one moment during basketball practice last week that I'll never forget. We had recently added a new player to our team at midseason. During his IEP meeting, his mom said that basketball had been good for him in the past, even though he had some deficiencies with his cognitive and motor skills. It was definitely a challenge to integrate him into our practices. I led the team on a jog across the street to the gym, and I forgot about him along the way. As the kids shuffled into the gym, our new player was nowhere to be seen. But then he came hustling in, accompanied by Killian, our star forward. Like a big brother, Killian had hung back to make sure that his new teammate reached the gym safely.

Killian could go on to lead the team in rebounds, scoring, and blocks this season, but in my eyes, nothing could surpass that moment right there. He probably could have outrun everyone that day, but he chose to hang back and help someone instead.