Sportsmanship and Humanity

By Katelyn Mulligan

COO

Recently, I experienced a milestone:  a nice high school reunion.  I enjoyed catching up in person with my classmates about what’s occurred over the last two decades since we all walked the halls together.  We all somewhat knew the answer to that question as we’ve been following each other on social media.  I was more interested in finding out what was between the lines and rekindling connections.

 
However, one person made a lasting impression on me that night.  This particular classmate was a true jock, excelling at wrestling and capturing awards and championships that span beyond just a high school athletic career.  During high school, I never had a less than positive interaction with him.  At the reunion, though, his first words to me contained an apology, explaining that he was genuinely sorry if he was ever rude to me, made fun of me, or did anything inappropriate while we were growing up.  He has grown to become a successful person with two sons and a nice family.  But the humbleness and humility he showed during our chat at the reunion was a nice complement not just to where he is now in his life, but to the value he places on relationships and humanity.

 
It’s an odd feeling to receive an apology when you don’t feel you need one or are even expecting one.  But I was touched by the overtones of sportsmanship that emanated from him.  Essentially, we were on the same team:  we both wore the same uniform as student-athletes at the same school.  But we also continue to be teammates in the game of life.  He wanted to be a better teammate, not just to me, but to everyone he thought he may have wronged.