Stories of good sportsmanship feed soul
I felt it this time.
And that’s when I came across a small news item from Iowa. I have family roots in Iowa and this gem happened to come from my mother’s hometown of Spencer, so naturally I took the detour and followed a link to a high school wrestling match.
Iowa is the hot bed of high school wrestling. Mark Kreidler’s book, “Four Days to Glory” is an excellent introduction to the sport through a look at its state championship tournament.
This story wasn’t so much about wrestling, but it was about sportsmanship.
The story was about Austin Roberts, a senior wrestler for the high school in Spencer. On Dec. 19 at the Spencer Tiger Invitational tournament, Roberts, who started his final high school season 14-0, collapsed during his 220-pound championship match. He died later that day at the local hospital.
Amed Castro-Chavez was wrestling one mat over when it happened. The two wrestlers had met earlier in the season and last week, Castro-Chavez and his team from Estherville-Lincoln Central High School were back for Spencer’s first dual match since the tragedy.
When it came time for the 220-pound match, Spencer did not have a wrestler and Castro-Chavez needed only to walk to the middle of the mat, allow the referee to raise his hand and accept the forfeit. His team trailed in the match, 22-3, and needed the points.
But instead, Castro-Chavez kept his warm-ups on and approached the Spencer fans to shake hands with Roberts’ family. He told the grandfather that it was an honor to wrestle Austin.
“I wanted to show Austin’s family respect because they are grieving. I told Austin’s mom that I wished I could wrestle Austin again because he was such a good wrestler,” Castro-Chavez told a reporter from the Sioux City Journal.
According to reports, the entire gym stood and applauded this touching act of compassion and exemplary display of sportsmanship.
It’s the kind of act that refills our reservoir of hope.
But you don’t need to go all the way to Iowa to find them.
We saw them here in 2013 when a traffic accident took the lives of two University High students, one a starter on the girls’ soccer team.
The loss of a teammate affected the team.
And the rest of the Greater Spokane League opened its arms and wrapped them around their heartbroken comrades. There were outpourings of condolence and support. When the team returned to the soccer pitch, the Rogers Pirates welcomed them on the U-Hi home field, offering hugs and balloons and a moment of silence in remembrance.
And then they offered perhaps the greatest gift of all – a chance to put their loss aside and just play soccer for a while – a chance to find a little catharsis.
It’s one of the things sport does best, and it surprisingly comes out as easily as a deep breath.
Like when a batter from Western Oregon hit the first home run of her life against Central Washington, then collapsed from a torn knee ligament rounding first base. Umpires tell her that if her teammates or coaches attempt to help her round the bases, she will be called out. If a pinch runner subs in for her, her homer will be ruled a single. So two teammates from Central Washington pick her up and carry her around the bases, lowering her gingerly at each base so she can score.
No debate, no questioning. They did it because to them, it was simply the right thing to do.
Moments like these are all about doing the right thing. Doing the human thing. Doing the humane thing.
Each moment inspires others as they ripple out like waves on a pond.
There are days when I wish they could be tidal waves.
Steve Christilaw can be reached at steve.christilaw@gmail.com.