Our Greatest Asset

By Jack Furlong

Founder/President/CEO

During his speech at the 4th Annual OSIP Celebration, MLB Umpire Chris Conroy said something that may have encompassed philanthropy in its entirety:
 
“The greatest asset we have to give is our time.”
 
Chris was accepting an award for his contributions to the world of sportsmanship that night, highlighted by his work with UMPS CARE Charities.  Like many big league umpires, Chris and his crew of officials will take time out of their day when they’re in various cities to go to local children’s hospitals just to bring a “Build-A-Bear” opportunity to the inpatient kids.  The umps who partake in this program always seem to highlight the fact that they just want to give the kids and their parents a few moments to take their minds off health issues at hand.  The smiles and the gratitude they receive make it worth it.
 
If good sportsmanship is fueled by following the golden rule of treating others the way we would wish to be treated, perhaps it’s not ridiculous to realize that the giving of our time is also a way that we can treat others in the same manner.  After all, how many times in our lives have we wanted others to show up for us in some way?  Whether it’s attending a game or a concert or a presentation or a ceremony, or even if it’s just to take time to chat and spend quality time with someone, every human has experienced that desire to be appreciated, wanted, and, perhaps most importantly, loved.
 
In fact, we can connect the dots from competition to appreciation.  We already know that treating others the way we would wish to be treated consists of things like not arguing or abusing sports officials; maybe letting them know how much we appreciate their presence on the field and the fact that they’re taking time out of their day for this game can take sportsmanship to the next level.  And it doesn’t need to be extravagant:  a simple handshake and a comment about how much you appreciate them is sufficient.
 
However, this type of scenario is rather specific to athletic competition.  Just being there for another person, whether it’s to allow someone to vent or to support someone in an endeavor, can be worth so much.  Think about how kids want the attention of their parents:  it’s the same theory.  If we want to show up for our kids, then we can show up for others in any capacity.
 
Our time truly is our greatest asset since it is finite, and giving of it is truly a mark of good sportsmanship.