You don't have to be THE Champion to be a winner!

It was a week ago (AND A YEAR AGO) that I watched the Butler Bulldogs come agonizingly close to winning  the NCAA men's national basketball championship, only to have traditional powers Duke and UConn prevail.  UConn is a deserving champion as they were the only team in the NCAA tournament this spring to figure out a way to shut down Butler's patient and ever deliberate offense in that decisive second half.

My colleague Gwen Banta, a Butler grad and longtime Hoosier resident, wrote a great post explaining the meaning of Hoosier Hysteria and its impact upon people beyond the basketball court.  You should read it and the comments as well.

Growing up in Indiana our state basketball championship was unlike any other state.  Tiny schools of under 120 students competed against schools over 2,000 students for the Indiana High School basketball championship.  When your school was eliminated thousands  of Hoosiers would focus on the remaining small schools and cheer them on through the state basketball championship.  It was like Butler(around 4,000 students) taking on the larger national powers through the NCAA tournament. 

I root for Butler because they remind me of the girls basketball teams I helped coach for eight years at two different schools long ago.  Qualities such as:  team over individual, tough defense, patient and deliberate offense, academic excellence, and most of all serving others in the community in a positive way. 

        A REVELATION FROM FACEBOOK

I haven't been on FACEBOOK very long so I am still learning all I can how it operates, but I have thoroughly enjoyed connecting with some of my former students who I  coached as a varsity assistant at Harrison and McCutcheon High Schools both in the Lafayette area.

I can relate to Butler being the runner up in the last two episodes of March Madness as our McCutcheon girls basketball team in 1992-93 lost in the state championship game to the #1 ranked team in the state(#5 in the NATION by USA Today)

IT HURTS!!! 

Yet, only hours after the championship game loss I remember feeling a sense of satisfaction that the girls had achieved so much and that they had left everything on the floor!  How can you feel bad about that?  Part of you still agonizes over the loss because of the tremendous competitive nature in you!  The week before in the semi-state(Elite 8) championship we decisively defeated  the unbeaten and #3 ranked team in the state, Gary West, by 15 points and they were ranked #7 in the Nation by the USA Today national poll! 

 RELATIONSHIPS OVER GAME SCORES

Getting back to FACEBOOK, when one of my players found me on FB we immediately started talking about our 1983-84 basketball team at Harrison High School, and what a special team we had and how close every one was to each other! 

It wasn't ten minutes and we talked about potentially listing their income units if the market turned around, and they were over a 1,000 miles away out West.  Talk about a humbling moment!  Carla trusted me enough from our basketball days without even knowing my proficiency as a REALTOR(R)!

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER!!!

One other team member is now coaching girls basketball at the high school level in the state, and she told me that she tells her teams what an ideal coach should be like and she patterned that description after me!  I about lost it! 

Thanks for those wonderful words, Tonja!!!  I know you are a success in coaching and life because of how hard you worked outside and on that basketball court!!!

I finally came to realize through Facebook in posting memories from the achievements of our girls basketball teams that even the players and head coach didn't remember most of the big games.  What matters most is the relationships that were formed in the struggles and accomplishments known as Hoosier Hysteria in our state basketball tournament and that is what matters most!  Pieces of paper fade, medals and rings tarnish, but the  people and the great memories of hard work, teamwork, sacrifice, placing others above your own interests, and giving your very best every single day are the things that matter in time.

I salute my former girls basketball players  from Harrison and McCutcheon High School and all that you achieved and more so what you are doing now!  

I will continue to back the Butler Bulldogs because they remind me so much of our special  teams we had at Harrison and McCutcheon High School and how smaller schools can beat the larger and more talented schools through preparation, team work, tough defense, patient offense, and out hustling the opponent!

 

                            1983-84 HARRISON 

                                  Lady Raiders  

****  21-3 record;  SECTIONAL and REGIONAL CHAMPS; Lafayette Semi-State "Sweet 16"

*** * only losses were to  #1 Crown Point in Thanksgiving Tournament( by 5 points)  

**** lost to unbeaten Benton Central in the regular season and BEAT Benton Central in the Regional!!!   

**** lost to #1 and unbeaten Crown Point in the Lafayette Semi-State by 7 points .  Crown Point won the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP and their coach said we were one of the two toughest opponets they faced!!!!

PAT BAKER was the head coach and it was my honor to be her varsity assistant coach!

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

                   

 

            1992-93 McCutcheon Mavericks IHSAA State Runner Up

****  SECTIONAL, REGIONAL, SEMI-STATE CHAMPS and STATE RUNNER UP

****  1991-92  Indiana Hall of Fame Champions; played in New Castle Fieldhouse the largest high school gym in the world with seating for over 9,300!

****  Defeated the #3 ranked team in the state, Gary West,(ranked #7 in the nation by USA Today Poll) in the Lafayette Semi-State Elite 8 Championship Game)

****  Lost to defending state champ and #1 ranked team in the state, Kokomo,(ranked #5 in the nation by USA Today poll) in the State Championship game in Market Square Arena in front of over 16,000 screaming fans!

 

DON BURTON was the head coach and it was a privilege being his varsity assistant!

 

************************************************************************************

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26 Comments on You don't have to be THE Champion to be a WINNER: Hoosier Hysteria, NCAA March Madness, and Facebook!

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

APR
13
2011
1,445,982 Points 26 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Great post. Hope to see you on Facebook and beyond.

 Life is good in the spring!
8:06pm • #7
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thank you, Roy.   I really enjoyed that picture of your mallard that you took!
9:05pm • #8
469,149 Points 18 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Bruce--You have such wonderful memories.  How neat to hear about all of the reconnecting you have been able to do on facebook.  It is certainly good for at least that!  Fun to see the pictures and smiling faces of your winning teams!  A belated congratulations coach!
10:25pm • #9
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thanks, Pat!  What an opportunity to work with such great individuals and then have an opportunity to stay in touch with many of them!  Playing sports develops bonds for life!
10:39pm • #10
APR
14
2011
880,328 Points 48 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

You are absolutely RIGHT ON! What matters MOST is the relationships! That is what life is all about! :O)
10:28am • #11
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Joni!  I agree!
10:39am • #12
471,280 Points 26 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Called Shot Master

Hi Bruce, I loved seeing the team photos and hearing about reconnectng with some of the players on facebook! I have reconnected with some of my high school girl friends, I have to say after so many years it's a bit of a brain strain remembering who did what....  That is very cool that you have been able to reconnect and yes you don't have to be a champion to be a winner.
5:21pm • #13
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Mary! 

It has been such a joy to get to chat and reconnect with some of our former players.  They were great students, athletes, and kids; they have even achieved more success in adulthood.  I will never forget my post players(centers/forwards) always thanking me when I would teach them a new skill.  I sure don't ever remember that with my defensive football players that I coached for 17 years!!!

Mary, you have only reconnected with your high school girl friends on Facebook???  There must be tons of former heart broken inamoratos running around in cyberspace ruing the day that Mary escaped them!  ^_~
7:15pm • #14
APR
15
2011
104,397 Points 11 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Bruce, what a fantastic story. It must be so emotional for your to hear from the girls you helped achieve so much. It is amazing how long memories live on, and what impact you can have on people you genuinly care about. Wonderful team photos. I hope you'll connect with more of these great girls, now grown-ups, who hold you so dear in their hearts.
6:57am • #15
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Elizabeth, it has been a lot of fun and they are such competitors!  You are correct about the team photos being very special.  Two different teams, different schools, and a decade apart.  What did they have in common?  Those Harrison and McCutcheon girls were absolute winners! (on the court and more importantly in life!)
7:07am • #16
1,158,080 Points 38 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

oo wow, I love these past photos, there is nothing like taking pictures from a manual camera :) I was trying to guess the years by the hair styles, for the second photo I was right on the money, early 90's.  Every ones hair style looked like one of the characters on Saved By the Bell...I think her name was Jessie?

Love the history of your home town and thanks for sharing!
7:37am • #17
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane, Laura.  I like the smiles the best as there were a lot of good times behind them!
7:43am • #18
566,182 Points 29 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp

Bruce, The relationships that we build throughout our lives are so much easier to hold on to and nurture through social networking sites like Facebook.  And, FB also brings people back together that haven't connected in years. What a great post!  3 months ago I was contacted by a man that I had been engaged to marry nearly 25 years ago!  What a treat to talk to him again!
8:31pm • #19
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Sandy, I am glad that you liked the post.  Who knows because of Facebook and Twitter high school reunions may become a thing of the past!  I am glad that your conversation with your former inamorato went well, Sandy!  Sounds like a future post!
9:44pm • #20
471,280 Points 26 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Called Shot Master

Hi Bruce, I don't think I left too many broken hearts, but our best man found me on FB and my husband I called him right away - we hadn't seen him for about 10 years.  Revisiting with old friends is the best, but we still like the telephone the best!
11:52pm • #21
APR
16
2011
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Mary!  I think that is great that you re-discovered your best man from your wedding on Facebook.  Well, if anyone ever calls me singing on the telephone I will know it is NOT you since you aren't going to sing for us in one of your RFL home tour videos!
1:08am • #22
APR
17
2011
859,792 Points 8 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Bruce, isn't Facebook such a wonderful way to get in contact from the people in our past? I enjoyed reading your story about the basketball team and how much that has and still impacts your life. :)

Leilani
9:43pm • #23
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Leilani, I am still in the learning stage about Facebook, but yes it has been so much fun finding out what our former ballplayers have been up to- especially the Harrison team from 1983-84 because almost all of the players are out of the area.  Thanks for your comment this evening!
9:55pm • #24
APR
18
2011
1,311,629 Points 65 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Bruce  You will always have the memories of how you contributed to the lives of those young ladies and Facebook is helping you enjoy them even more as time has passed
12:53am • #25
275,808 Points 3 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Karen, it was my privilege to have the opportunity to help coach these young ladies in high school, and it is a great bonus to have found many of them on Facebook and keep in touch with them.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts this morning with us.
7:01am • #26

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Bruce Walter

West Lafayette, IN

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Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana

Address: 22 Executive Drive, Lafayette, IN, 47905

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