The Kids are Alright

Last week was busy! My son had his last tennis match of his high school career. My daughter had a couple volleyball matches. Both participated in a bunch of Homecoming activities. And between church meetings, DDA, Council and, well, life...it was a doozy.

If you can indulge me a bit, I would like to brag about my son's last match. The team was playing down in Traverse City for tennis Regionals. Because there are so few boys’ tennis teams, our region stretches from Harbor Springs, through Traverse City and all the way over to the Saginaw Bay area. Ty, my son, was ranked 5th in the #1 singles spot, so he did not get a first-round bye.

He won his first match without dropping a game. His second, he took on a Spanish exchange student who was very good (and a heck of a nice kid). Ty won the first set and then had to win 5 straight games to win the second. With the win, he qualified to play in the Regional semi-finals against the #1 seed. If he won, he would qualify for States.

When I say Ty left it all on the court in his final match...it is an understatement. He rose to the challenge big time. I have never seen him play better. I often talk about the kids from Harbor Springs punching above their weight. Tyler did just that. He lost the first set then rallied to win the second. He took the #1 player in the Region to a 3rd set tie-breaking match. After spending 2.5 hours battling, Ty lost in a heartbreaker.

But he wasn't heartbroken. He came off the court smiling. Head held up. Feet bleeding a bit (not kidding). He had played his last match with heart and determination, and you could tell he was proud of himself. He had taken on a kid from a bigger school, a bigger program, a history of success and earned the respect of everyone who watched him play.

I could not be more proud of him. His team played their tails off and the Rams ended up 5th in a tough Region playing with 10 team members rather than a full team of 12.

Want to see the character of our little town? Go to a game. Harbor Springs kids play with heart. They cheer for one another. They care for each other. They take on bigger schools and win---regularly. They are respected by their peers across the state.

Tonight, the volleyball team will play its Pink Game in honor of breast cancer awareness. The Junior Varsity match is at 5:30. Varsity take the court at 7 here at the High School. The Cross Country team is competing for the Conference Championship this afternoon down at Boyne Mountain. If you get a chance-get out there and cheer the Rams on!

Sometimes, among all the backbiting and acrimony, it’s good to be reminded that our kids are pretty darn special. Perhaps a little perspective on what is really important will help us adults rise to the occasion as well.

Go Rams!