Seth, Nick, Ryan, Cole, Kenny, Ryan, CJ, Christian, Joe-Joe, Ty, C-Dub, Adam – you inspire me!

Last week at the Sports at the Beach Tournament, you took on a Goliath – a much bigger and, by some measures, a stronger team. You were expected to lose – and by some measures (namely the score) you did. But the two numbers that fall on either side of a dash only tell part of any game’s story. In many very important ways, you won that game.

You won by showing us the importance of respecting, but not fearing an opponent. You won by believing in yourselves and demonstrating confidence in your abilities. You won by standing tall when, after much to the surprise (and joy) of spectators who gathered around to watch your grit and determination, you took your Goliath into extra innings! You won, even after the score said you lost by one run, by gaining the admiration and respect of your Goliath. By measures that last and matter most – you won.

Thank you for a truly exciting and inspiring game and for reminding us that winning can be measured in many ways, not solely by two numbers that fall on either side of a dash. The smiles on your faces as you proudly walked off the field that day told us that you probably already know this.