"It was the right thing to do."
~Darius McNeal, DeKalb Barbs
Sportsmanship is always a major issue in sports. From pee-wee league to professional athletics, athletes are ubiquitously scrutinized for there lack of sportsmanship, but not too often for the sportsmanship they display. This story surrounds two teams that witnessed true acts of sportsmanship, propelling a story that should be read by everyone. In the town of DeKalb, Ill., an 18 year old, Johntel Franklin (pictured), who had seen his mother in remission after a five-year fight with cervical, had to see a detrimental decision made hours before DeKalb's non-conference game against Milwaukee Madison. It was decided that his Mother's life-support system would be turned off, crushing the young man, who was very close with his Mother, according to his coach Aaron Womack Jr. Womack wanted to cancel the game but Franklin said he wanted his team to play. Expecting Franklin to grieve and not come to the game, Womack and his team were ecstatic when he showed up in the second quarter, and was surrounded by hugs from teammates and fans. He decided he wanted to play, yet the only way to get him in the game was to take a technical foul, giving two free throws to the other team, which Womack easily agreed to, backing up his player altruistically. The sportsmanship came when the player taking the free throws for the opposing team, Darius McNeal, purposely missed the two free throws with the support of his coach, Dave Rohlman, after the referees forced the team to take the shots as part of the rules. "Yes, DeKalb would go home with a loss. But it was a trip they'll never forget." A touching story of true sportsmanship. I only hope others can learn from this story.
Posted on Thursday, October 21, 2010
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Sportsmanship is always a major issue in sports. From pee-wee league to professional athletics, athletes are ubiquitously scrutinized for there lack of sportsmanship, but not too often for the sportsmanship they display. This story surrounds two teams that witnessed true acts of sportsmanship, propelling a story that should be read by everyone. In the town of DeKalb, Ill., an 18 year old, Johntel Franklin (pictured), who had seen his mother in remission after a five-year fight with cervical, had to see a detrimental decision made hours before DeKalb's non-conference game against Milwaukee Madison. It was decided that his Mother's life-support system would be turned off, crushing the young man, who was very close with his Mother, according to his coach Aaron Womack Jr. Womack wanted to cancel the game but Franklin said he wanted his team to play. Expecting Franklin to grieve and not come to the game, Womack and his team were ecstatic when he showed up in the second quarter, and was surrounded by hugs from teammates and fans. He decided he wanted to play, yet the only way to get him in the game was to take a technical foul, giving two free throws to the other team, which Womack easily agreed to, backing up his player altruistically. The sportsmanship came when the player taking the free throws for the opposing team, Darius McNeal, purposely missed the two free throws with the support of his coach, Dave Rohlman, after the referees forced the team to take the shots as part of the rules. "Yes, DeKalb would go home with a loss. But it was a trip they'll never forget." A touching story of true sportsmanship. I only hope others can learn from this story.
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