By Ralphine Major

It is the month of St. Patrick’s Irish holiday, the month of spring breaks for schools, the month of strong and fierce winds, and the month of long-awaited basketball tournaments!

With tournament games canceled during much of the COVID pandemic, games are being played again this year.  Players strive to bring their best talent to the court in the high-level competitions, hoping to win in their respective brackets.  Some of them often show unforeseen discipline and endurance in the hard-fought games.  Coaching skills as well as players’ offensive and defensive moves are usually at their peak.  In a recent game, I saw glimpses of the late Pat Summitt in the Lady Vols team and their coach.  I was reminded again of Summitt as another team, coached by a former Lady Vol, won the Southeastern Conference tournament.  Of course, it is almost impossible to watch any women’s game without sometimes being reminded of the beloved Tennessee coaching legend.

Basketball games are not unlike the game of life where we often rely on hard work and discipline to take us to victory.  Life is also a game of competition that requires us to do our best.  Good luck to all the high school and college teams in their tournaments as they march toward the game that will eventually determine the state and national champions.

Words of Faith: “O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.” Psalm 117:1 (KJV).