shake hands first

yesterday our team won our 4th round {quarter-final} game of the state playoffs. it's the farthest any team from our school has ever made it in the state tournament, and we're so stinkin' proud of our girls.

it's funny how things stay with you though, and the memories that get drummed up in certain situations.
as a 12 year old my club team won the state cup tournament. naturally we were giddy with excitement as the final whistle blew, and wanted nothing more than to start celebrating immediately. but our coach firmly told us to shake hands first.

shake hands, then celebrate.
play with class, finish with class.

yesterday, as our giddy-excited team started screaming and hugging after the final whistle, i found myself the one firmly telling them to shake hands first, then celebrate.

why?

because the other team isn't giddy-excited. they're on the other side of the coin. they're the ones who came that close, and lost the game. and they don't want to stand there at the middle of the field and watch you celebrate.

they want to get the heck out of there.

respect your opponent. respect the game. respect their effort.
shake their hands. let them go.

a win like that is sweet. it is something to be celebrated. but when you win like that take a second to remember what it felt like to come to the end of your season last time. remember what it felt like to have to wait silently, lined up in the middle of the field. wait for the dog pile to clear and them to line up.

it's not a matter of not celebrating.
it's a matter of the golden rule.

treat others how you would like to be treated.
play with class. finish with class.

shake hands first.
celebrate the heck out of it after.

xoxo