My Origins As A Basketball Fan

In honor of March Madness wrapping up and the U of M Gopher Women making it to the Sweet Sixteen this year, I want to tell a favorite story about my dad.

The year was 1997 and the Gopher Men made it to the Final Four. It must’ve been Easter weekend, because I remember I needed to be up at church at an unusual time without the rest of my family and had to miss the game - probably singing in the choir or altar serving. Being in the 5th grade, I needed a ride home afterwards and my dad picked me up. When I climbed into the car, I asked how the game went and his response was “you would’ve learned some new words”.

Meaning the Gopher Men lost.

This memory makes me chuckle, because with a few more years of sports fandom under my belt than my younger self, I understand this sentiment in a full-bodied way. I’ve been known to yell “defense!” or “GO IN!” at the ball on the TV in a pivotal moment. 

Recently I was asked if I’ve always been into basketball because of my family or if it’s been a more recent passion of mine. 

And YES, growing up in a basketball family, I’ve always been into it, and also YES, it’s in more recent years when I’ve been following along pretty closely. 

And I love basketball (especially women’s basketball) for a lot of reasons. 

But this year I’m realizing, and why I’m sharing this story: I’m into basketball because it makes me feel close to my dad.

I get a little lump in my throat when I think that thought and I wonder what it would be like to have him here rooting and discussing and analyzing and cursing at the TV together.

He coached me for a bit when I was in grade school before he got sick from cancer and I cherish the memory of driving home from games with him picking apart what happened. I’d be so hyped to play and improve and practice that I told him we needed to talk like that BEFORE games so I had a place to channel all the energy we jazzed up inside me.

I was obsessed with the WNBA when the league started and Cheryl Swoops from the Houston Rockets was my favorite shirt. After playing freshman year in high school, I became one of the statisticians for the girls varsity team and, when one of my brothers played in high school, my sister and I would keep his stats for him from the stands (not sure if that was helpful haha!)

But then there WAS a period of time when I didn’t follow the game: college, post-graduating, when I lived in New York… It wasn't until I moved back home to Minnesota that I returned to the love of being a fan. Thankfully my man gets into it just as much as me and it’s our favorite date to watch games together.

If I have to miss a fun matchup of the teams we like to follow, my first question when I walk in the door is, “who’s winning?” in a very similar fashion to that fateful day of being a heartbroken Minnesota sports fan in 1997.

The next March after that glory run into the Big Dance, my dad was sick with cancer. I don’t remember March Madness in the midst of hospital stays and tests, but I do remember being at a cabin that summer and watching Michael Jordan and the Bulls playing in the 1998 playoffs.

So, yes, there’s a lot of reasons why I love the game, but this time, this year, this March Madness, I’ve been cherishing how it connects me to my dad’s spirit.

And that’s the thing, right? Doing the activities, carrying on the traditions (that still feel aligned), pulling out the heirlooms, telling the stories long after our loved ones are gone from this physical plane in order to feel them with us, to keep their memory alive, to hold us in the grief of missing them. 

So here’s a gentle reminder to do the things and tell the stories that keep you close to your people. 

(and if you feel open to sharing a story of your own, I’d love to hear!)

JOURNAL PROMPTS:
-Who or what are you missing these days?

-The spring is here! What is your heart yearning for?
 
-What are you being invited to explore, expand, and evolve?

-How is the energy of the spring growing season beckoning you out of your winter reflection season?

THEME SONG FOR THE WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR (an oldie but a goodie): I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston on Spotify

I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston on YouTube