Who Still Talks About Their High School Sports?

It has become a running joke with my circle that only boring people continue to talk about their high school sports career into their older age, but there is one exception.

Mike was the school’s quarterback, and the next day was the football game against their biggest rival. That night he and some friends thought it would be fun to paint “Beat *rival school name*” on the city’s water tower which sat directly next to the football field, clearly visible from the whole city.

The next morning, the day of the big game, the police pulled him out of class and informed him they knew he and his cohort were the culprits, and he was suspended from playing football until he paid a substantial fine. There was no way they could pay that fine, and Mike was devastated.

A few hours later, his principal pulled him out of his class to tell him that his fine had been paid, and he was cleared to play that night. It wasn’t until after the game that he discovered who paid for him. The businesses on the city square were so motivated to have their star quarterback lead their team to victory that they passed a hat from business to business to raise the money.

At first glance, this story can look like a story of enabling bad behavior. But in my interview with Mike, he assured me their compassion taught him a lesson, and he never got into trouble like that again.

Oh, and by the way, Mike and his team did win… by a lot.

While interviewing people on their lives and legacy, I hear quite a few sports stories. But this one showed that sports can be more than muscle and mania. It’s a great teacher and a pillar for communities.