Brought together at the ripe age of 13 and now approaching 18, this group of brothers is bound not by blood but by honor.
I don't know that they appreciate the bond yet, and I know many parents don't truly understand it. These brothers play football together and they lose more than they win, yet they persist.They persist in spite of the world's view on winners and losers. We as parents repeat the rhetoric of just do your best, win or lose, it's how you play the game, yet when we're gathered in small groups there is a different voice.These young men in a Fort Worth high school face a grueling practice schedule, get no extra credit and in fact lower their GPA by playing. The Fort Worth school district allows students in band class to earn five points for receiving an A grade, but not the players on the field.The young men take the jokes, the pot shots from others, and still they play. They play because they love the game. They play because they love the camaraderie of the team. They play because their heart and soul are bound up in this band of brothers.They've supported each other on and off the field, as they will throughout their lives. They are honoring a commitment they made back in seventh grade and then strengthened in ninth grade, when they were joined with young men from other middle schools.Very few of us stay committed to something or someone that requires this much work for this long. We live in a society that looks to your successes to decide your worth. We don't applaud loyalty, strength of character or how we play a game, win OR lose.Many famous individuals start off their story of fame with a story of failure, yet while in the midst of it very few of us stand by and say, "Keep at it, something good is going to happen from this."I watch these boys grow in honor, in strength of character and spirit. I watch them become people I want to share the planet with.I was approached by a student who asked me why I continued to support the team. I asked, "Do you know a better group of guys?"His surprised expression and reply of "No, they really are good people" gave me an opportunity to recognize what lesson needs to be more important.Winning is amazing. Winning is euphoric. Winning puts you on the top!Not winning in a competition doesn't put you on the bottom. It gives us an opportunity to work on our game, but by no means should it define who we are or how society receives us.It offers an opportunity for those around us to look a little deeper inside and remember what is important in our daily lives -- winners or people of character.We all know these people. They touch our lives in a variety of ways. But do we as a society truly honor their strength to do a job few would choose? Do we stand in awe of their loyalty and their willingness to go the extra mile?If we still aspire to judge our fellow citizens not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, I know where to find the winners. They are the people among us who get suited up each day and give their all for themselves and their team. These are the people I want leading us into our future.Pam Young of Fort Worth is a member of the 2012 Star-Telegram Community Columnist Panel. pamfwst12@gmail.comHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
