I walked into Warrior breakfast this morning and saw our little boys munching on cereal, just enjoying the start of their day. For these younger boys, it was a typical Monday: back to the bunk for clean-up, waiting for the whistle to blow, and off to activities.
Sitting off to the side in our dining hall were our 13-and-under and 15-and-under basketball players, wearing their green Takajo jerseys. The boys were relaxed, but you could tell they knew they were about to head into the lion’s den.
For our 13-and-under players, this would be the first time playing on an away court packed with screaming campers and counselors rooting against them. For our 15-year-old boys, they’ve experienced this before—they understood the moment.
The boys knew that once they boarded that bus, there would be nothing we could do to help them. They would have to rely on each other and their coach. They’d need to tune out the noise, stay focused, and trust one another. A far cry from being on stage in the MJG Playhouse just a few hours earlier, the game face was on, and they were ready.
Our 13-and-under team made its way to the finals. After a first game that ended with a narrow two-point win, they found their rhythm and took on all comers.
But to win it all, they’d have to beat the host team on their home court. With only their coach and the 15-and-under team cheering them on, our boys fought gallantly—and when the final buzzer rang in a hard-fought, close game, they were victorious.
Our 15-and-under boys arrived at the host camp with purpose and made their way through the bracket with poise and confidence, reaching the finals, where they, too, would face the host camp.
From the opening tap, our boys played with intensity and grit. They never let up. And when that final buzzer sounded, they hugged each other and their coach in victory before making their way to their opponents and extending their hands in sportsmanship.
I was waiting for the boys as the bus pulled back into camp. As these 15-year-old young men stepped off the bus with childlike grins, I couldn’t help but think back to when they were just learning how to dribble on the Warrior court with Coach Shad, just a few years ago.
