Despite your nerves becoming frayed, fried, and frazzled while watching these resilient incredible boys battle for a state title in Georgia's biggest arena, you have to smile at what's happening off your left hip.

Your phone is in there – and you're getting texts from Jamaica, Hilton Head, Texas, Spring Break parents, former player dads who have formerly lost their nerves and went nuts in this very coliseum. 

"UPDATE dang it! You're leaving me hanging!" A football coach from back home types this so hard you yourself may have to see the trainer Monday when we all get back. You can FEEL his nerves even though they are some 90-plus miles away. 

Connections, you might say – caring connections. 

Moving backwards, there were two buses getting here for the Final Four and the finals, for the record. You rode with perhaps the Spring Break misfits; the toys Santa threw away. In looking back, there was a priest and her kid, a police chief, an athletic director, a man setting the HIES record for most job titles, and a freshman boy.

The cheerleaders were always back there – as for their conversation think a huddle with 17 quarterbacks. You know that's too many people on the field, though you also know not a dang one of them is going to get off of it until they get finished talking.

Sports bus rides, you see, depend on the dynamic of the sport. A cross country one, for example, is sweat, times, paces, and Fantasy Football facts. A cheerleader one is smoothies and flowers and did you bring a phone charger?

Back to present moment, it's the fourth quarter now – back to the finals – and those Titans have bombed their way past us with four straight 3s and another basket, though our beautiful Bear boys aren't to be declawed. 

Caleb swats shots into the fourth row. Devin is proving he's too good to be only a sophomore. And later, you find it so fitting that Will, one of our seniors – hits a 3 at the buzzer – making his last high school shot in the biggest stage a good one.

On this night, speaking of, you're flanked by an English teacher, an Upper School counselor, a Middle School coach, and people you're not really sure you know. The funniest aside, however is the above mentioned ninth grade boy.

Somehow, he managed to get past security tighter than airports after 911. He had help in Chief Green and AD Tony Watkins, but he wasn't satisfied with just that. Somehow, he found his way on the team bench.

"Well, when the halftime horn blew, I wanted to make sure I was doing something, so I grabbed a few Gatorade bottles and went off the court with the team."

Seeing his smile as he walked past us – in itself – was worth the trip.

Just saying.

Anyway, you're home now, and you're feeling all the things that sports can do to man, woman, boy, girl and anyone in the vicinity. What if? What about that? Could've. Might've. Should've. Whistles and horns and crowd noise keeps banging you around, tossing you across your bed.

Then, it hits you…and as if on cue another text rattles your phone next to your bed. 

"I'm not on Facebook or the web! Score please? How'd we do?"

A smile interrupts your sports emotions. You type the numbers, hit send, but before you battle with basketball's bouncing, you have to laugh a little to yourself.

After all, Spring Break will always be what you make of it. You saw no sand or waves, surf, or turf, you didn't get to wonder why the waitress hasn't brought you your shrimp you ordered 30 minutes ago.

All true – but you were surrounded by a lot of care, a lot of good people, and before you drift off to sleep, you rub your left hip a little bit – ease out the tension and the pain, make a note to go see Andrew, Bethany, or Josh in the training room next week. 

And with that, you smile, and off to sleep you go…

Take care, thanks for listening, and – of course – Go Bears!
 
Dunn