A couple of nights ago, I attended a Special Olympics basketball tournament. If you have never been to a Special Olympics event... please go!

It is so much fun!

I am!

I had taught many of the students who were competing that night. I really enjoyed talking to my kids before and after their games. One particular student asked me what I thought would happen if he took off the mascot's head and ran away. I told him that first I would fall down on the floor laughing... but then a lot of the little kids would be scared at the sight of a headless mascot. He decided it would be best not to scare the little ones. He's a good kid (and he's really funny).

If it were this mascot, I think he would have been saving little
kids from nightmares by removing the head.

Although it is true that I knew half of the kids on our teams (we have enough kids for three full squads) I am confident I would have had a great time even if I didn't know a single participant. The conversations with the players were all awesome (I made sure to talk to every kid I knew), but they were nothing compared to the games. The school really supports this particular tournament. Although, the four thousand seat bleachers aren't completely filled, more than 1500 people attend the games. That's a pretty big number for any non-varsity sport.

The 1500 who attend cheer so loud that you would think it was a fully packed house. The best part is, the stands are mostly filled by the players' classmates. That is what the players want to see. It's nice to have their mom, dad or history teacher cheering for them... but its spectacular to have their peers screaming their names. Oh and do the fans scream.

Every basket is cheered as if it were the shot to win the state championship. Students bring signs with the names and numbers of the players written on them. Entire varsity teams of other sports attend to support their classmates. The coolest kids in the school come. Why? Because these kids in the stands are a fan of their classmates. They are supporting the participants' daily courage and determination. Oh and because its so much fun!

One of my favorite things in the world is to watch someone have a "shining moment". Luckily as a teacher, I get to see many. Sometimes it's a kid answering a really tough math question in front of the whole class. Other times its a member of the marching band performing at halftime. It may be a member of the color guard executing a perfect twirl of her flag. Perhaps it's a student belting out the national anthem. For some it's hanging their award winning photograph next to the trophy case. Last week, I saw one girl raise herself out of her wheel chair and use a walker to make her way down the entire hall (she was so proud... exhausted but proud). I have witnessed a kid have his shining moment by standing up to a bully to protect a lonely boy at lunch... then he sat next to that boy and had a conversation. The boy never sits alone anymore.

It looks like this is a shining moment for both of these kids.
Maybe a shining moment can be helping someone to experience her moment.

That night, 36 kids had their shining moment. This moment happened before the clock even started. Each athlete's face filled with pride as his or her name was announced while 1500 people gave a genuine standing ovation. No-one cheered because they felt they had to. People cheered out of respect and recognition of all of the hard work these players put it. They also cheered to remind the competitors that they are supported and that they belong. I cheered because I like basketball and I was looking forward to seeing some cool plays.

During the game, a little girl in front of me asked her dad why they weren't calling traveling and other violations. Her father responded, "The rules are a little different." That's it. Perfect explanation. Different... not "worse". The little girl nodded and said, "I think the game is more fun this way." Then she went back to cheering.

I smiled.

I still am.

Have you ever been to a Special Olympics event? What's your favorite "shining moment" that you have witnessed?

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