THIS ARTICLE IS DEDICATED TO BILL WALTON AND BILL RUSSELL. TWO GREAT CELTIC CHAMPIONS. SPEAKING OF CELTIC CHAMPIONS, YOUR BOSTON CELTICS ARE 2024 NBA CHAMPIONS.
On May 27th, 2024, the sports world got news that a hero had passed of cancer at 71 years young. Bill Walton, who in his own right was an unbelievable athlete. An MVP, a sixth man of the year and a multi time champion with both the Portland Trail Blazers and my beloved (hopefully soon to be world champions), Boston Celtics. Walton’s post player profile wasn’t shabby by any means. A great scorer and an uncanny ability to be a significant playmaker from the block. Something that we’ve only seen a couple of times. Bill Russell before him, Hakeem Olajuwon at the same time as Walton and Nikola Jokic today.
Yet, in the immediate days since his passing, his on court accolades are sparsely mentioned.
What you hear instead is who he was off the court. A rare mention for superstar athletes. Now, he most certainly isn’t the first “good guy” to pass away as a legend in a given sport. Guys like Yogi Berra and the aforementioned Bill Russell come to mind as two athletes who were larger than life off of the floor due to their natural kindness towards others.
But as I’m listening to the people that knew him best, it’s clear something about Bill was different. His playing career was short, due to injuries to his back and ankle that hampered what already was a Hall of Fame career. Yet, if you saw the man Bill Walton in his post-playing days, you’d never know he had such a frustrating end to his career. In his biography Back From The Dead, he details how he underwent 30+ surgeries to repair a body that couldn’t keep up with the enthusiasm Walton played the game of basketball with. He mentioned in an interview that he spent two years lying on the floor in pure agony due to his back ailment, which sent him into a spiral of deep depression.
However, if you had the chance to meet Bill Walton the person, you’d never know of the horrors he faced behind closed doors. He always lived his life with his trademark ear to ear smile, and witty jokes of plenty at the drop of a hat. My favorite of said jokes was when he’d often greet his friends by saying “Wait, what’s your name again? Hi I’m Bill”! That line alone shows a man who was light at heart, despite having every reason to be so.
Perhaps the most famous hobby of Walton’s was his unwavering love and loyalty to the Grateful Dead. From the beginning, Walton followed the band around partaking in various escapades with Jerry Garcia and co. So much so, that he eventually became a de facto member of one of the greatest bands in the history of music. He stated that the day Jerry Garcia passed was one of the saddest days of his life.
I think his love for the Dead perfectly captures who Walton was and why we can all learn something from his larger than life story. He led a carefree approach to life, one that led him to try his absolute best to make someone’s day, either by cracking a joke or playing the guitar. He was unapologetically himself to the fullest degree and lived everyday with love in his heart.
Now, what does this have to do with the ending of the 2024 softball and baseball seasons?
Walton’s passing is a firm reminder to enjoy every moment of life and to live it to the absolute fullest. And most importantly, to enjoy the journey. Oftentimes when you’re on or around a sports team at any level, it can be incredibly easy to get swept up in the wins and losses record. Yet when I think of every team I’ve ever been a part of, I honestly couldn’t tell you what record we had that season. But what I can most certainly tell you is every moment made along the way with my coaches, teammates and most importantly community. As much as we want to win, (and we want to win more than you’d believe), high school sports are a vehicle for life. You get to experience the trials and tribulations of life with a group of people that become your family. Participating in various sports in various capacities over the years has taught me more than I could even begin to express.
So yes, losing in the playoffs hurts a lot. It may even take some time for the hurt to subside however, Walton is a reminder that the sports we dedicate ourselves to is simply put, just a vehicle for life.
Both teams put up tremendous seasons.
The softball girls finished the valley district regular season with a record of 15-5 and most importantly, another state playoff run! Making the playoffs period is a difficult achievement in itself, let alone getting through regionals making it to the state portion of the playoffs. While they may have fallen short, this season in my eyes is a huge success! I have full confidence in the group playing in the same spot next season! Congratulations to Sophomore Pitcher Lilah Deavers who was named to the VHSL Class 3 All-State First Team. Lilah had a great season, including a 15-Strike Out performance against Christiansburg in the State Quarterfinals.
The baseball boys also finished with a Valley District regular season record of 15-5. Winning a road playoff game in the first round. Ending the year with 16 wins is no small feat. Think about it, the pros play 162, college 40(ish) regular season games. Playing a little over 20 games leaves no room for error. Being a handful of games away from perfect is something to build on for the following season. Not to mention how long playoff experience will take the younger players of the group. Gobblers Shortstop and West Virginia commit was named to the VHSL Class 3 All-State Second Team. Bransen had another tremendous year for the Gobblers and left his mark on the BHS record books setting new records in Season Stolen Bases and Career Stolen Bases.
Both teams took tough losses at different levels of the VHSL playoffs however, as the Celtics have taught me, you have to take your lumps before you can conquer the mountain top!
