Winning isn’t quite everything

By Jeff Hage (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, March 14, 2008

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."

I don’t know who came up with that line, but anyone who has ever put on a uniform will tell you that statement is absolutely wrong.

In our society winning makes the world go round. That’s why we keep score. That’s why we are always striving to be the best. That’s why sports have become a multi-billion dollar business.

This past week in Fergus Falls we learned about the joys of winning a section championship and the benefits that came with it — a trip to Minneapolis and girls state basketball tournament.

We also learned about the pain of defeat when the girls were ousted from the tournament in an overtime defeat.

But I’m here to tell you that in this “win, baby, win” kind of world we live in, winning really isn’t everything.

Think about the last seven days here in Fergus Falls, for example.

The girls’ Section 8 AAA championship victory ignited excitement and imagination within this community that many haven’t seen in a long time.

Last Friday at the boys basketball game the Fergus Falls community stood and cheered on its girls with great enthusiasm as they were honored for their achievements a night earlier on a Moorhead gymnasium floor.

Three days later hundreds of students wore their school colors as they screamed and yelled in an emotional send-off for the girls in the high school gym.

Maroon and gold pon-poms were selling at a feverish pace. T-shirts were printed and sold honoring the girls and their amazing feat.

Lots of amazing things happened this week all because the girls were playing basketball.

On Wednesday, some local businesses sponsored maroon and gold days, allowing employees to dress in manners to show their community support.

The Noon Rotary Club, famous for its singing, put down its songbook for a week and sang a roaring rendition of the Otter fight song in honor of the girls.

Without the girls, seven busloads of Fergus Falls fans and two busloads of band members would have never made the trip to the Target Center in Minneapolis where they put their spirit on display for all of Minnesota to see.

The local newspaper put out a special section honoring the girls. Fargo television stations rolled their production trucks into Fergus Falls to film feature stories on the Otters. Local radio was also recording interview clips featuring the girls.

For a week Fergus Falls was buzzing. There was excitement among the students at Fergus Falls High School. There was excitement among the oldtimers having morning coffee at the Viking Cafe and City Bakery.

For that I thank the girls.

This team will bring us lots of fun in the future. It’s a young team that has a lot of fire left in it. The experience of a state tournament bid only makes this team stronger.

I’ll think we’ll put on that maroon and gold and to Minneapolis many times in the years ahead.

Jeff Hage is the managing editor of the Daily Journal. He can be reached at jeff.hage@fergusfallsjournal.com.