It's that time of year again; Connecticut high school basketball has reached its zenith, as we approach state tournament season. Over the next few weeks, the state's best boys and girls teams will compete in league tournaments. Then, it will be time for Connecticut's version of the "big dance"; the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) Basketball Championships.
Having been a member of two county championship teams (through assisting with the Fairfield High/Fairfield Warde girls' team), I can say that the post-season is the ultimate challenge for high school sports. The many student-athletes of the CIAC have pushed themselves all season long; now, they have to "go harder", so to speak. You see, it's not enough to have the desire to be a champion; you have to be willing to put in hard work, and give more of yourself than you ever have. To quote the legendary pro wrestler Ric Flair, you must "sweat, bleed, and pay the price" to be the best.
If you are one of those who are lucky and good enough to get to Mohegan Sun Arena, you will always remember the experience. This is a level of excellence that all teams strive for. Be they small schools like East Haven, or larger schools such as newly crowned FCIAC (Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference) champion Norwalk, every team starts the season with the goal of being champions. And that should be the goal of every athlete; if you don't wish to be the best in whatever it is that you're doing, you should give it up, and do something else.
Victory is sweet; those who achieve it create legacies, and are memorialized forever. To quote the great Vince Lombardi, "I firmly believe that any (person's) finest hours...(the) greatest fulfillment of all that (they hold dear)...is that moment when (they have) worked (their) heart out in a good cause, and (lie) exhausted on the field of battle...victorious".
I celebrate and salute those who give their all in pursuit of victory, no matter what team they play on.
"It is not the critic who counts...the credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena" -- Paraphrased from Theodore Roosevelt
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