Probably one of the reasons that so many people enjoy March Madness, beyond those who are devout basketball or college basketball fans, is that almost anyone in any walk of life can be inspired in their own life, by someone else who is facing obstacles, challenges, difficulties, adversity and other circumstances that might be described as overwhelming odds. This years NCAA tournament seems to be precedent setting in terms of the nature of the upsets that have occurred in the first two rounds. The biggest stories in terms of the David versus Goliath scenarios, were the overall number one seed Kansas losing to Northern Iowa, in the second round of games. Not too far behind that match in terms of a surprising outcome was Villanova, the number 2 seed in the South region losing to the 10th seeded Saint Mary’s, also in round two of the games.
In reality, what we are seeing more of each year is the growing parity of American college basketball. There are some very logical reasons for this trend, highlighted by the games I had mentioned. Almost any division one basketball program can get on television. Most of the conferences and teams have their own local TV packages, and if a particular school is having a very good season, they might get some national exposure on ESPN highlight packages or other sports networks, both regional and national. The exposure on television is a selling point in the recruiting process for some student athletes.For others, playing time is a concern, because a player can only improve his skills through game action. Attending a top program might mean sitting behind a more senior player or more talented one. In some cases, an athlete may be better of going to a smaller school to get more playing time. Student athletes who have professional sports ambitions are aware that if they are good and have the potential to become a professional, that the scouts will find them. Every team in every league, especially the more successful teams, find players everywhere and anywhere. There are obvious examples that most sports fans are cognizant of. Professional teams like the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Red Wings, San Antonio Spurs, all maintain a degree of excellence for many years, because they have scouts who can find players anywhere in the world. They also have a blueprint for the kinds of players and people they want as part of their organization. These teams place a lot of emphasis on character, as well as skill. That generally translates as athletes who are dedicated to their sport, and becoming as good as they can be, and are willing to make the sacrifices that are necessary, to become the best and help their team compete for championships. It’s not by coincidence that these previously mentioned teams, have some of the better overall track records in professional sports.
As for the inspiration, you just can’t beat it, in terms of drawing on someone's or some team’s example of not quitting or giving up, to help ourselves get through adversity, despair,failure, and any other challenging aspect of life. Interestingly enough, this type of role modeling can be very effective. If you want to be successful in any field, it’s always best to pattern your strategy and behavior,after someone who has excelled in that area. It makes sense therefore, that in wanting to know how to overcome difficult circumstances, pay close attention, as to how other individuals or groups do it, and borrow from their example, when you’re presented with all kinds of challenges and difficulties, as most of us are throughout our lifetime.