Before I get branded as a sports softie by the headline of this commentary, please know that I believe that champions should get the biggest trophy. Having said that, it shouldn’t be the only award received at the end of the season.

I’ve participated in and watched a lot of competitions in my life. The past couple of weekends, I’ve spent days at UD Arena, taking in girls and boys state basketball finals. Central Ohio was lucky to have five teams vying for the OHSAA title. 

Three of those teams won the ultimate prize, but two went home without the biggest trophy. The Reynoldsburg and Columbus Academy boys teams fell on the last day of play in their respective divisions. In the case of the Vikings, it was their only loss of the season.

I got to know the two coaches of the runners-up before their title games through the podcast that Ray Corbett and I do each week. Andy Moore from Reynoldsburg and Jeff Warstler from Academy were not only knowledgable about the art of coaching during our interview, but they both had a great sense of humor and, most important, an intense desire to do right by their players.

So, when I watched their final games of the year, I had great empathy for them, their players, and their fans. Andy and Jeff are such good teachers and solid people, it made me sad that anyone might think they were less than equal to the challenge. If I still had eligibility through a (very) senior waiver, I’d play for either.

But then I thought about it in a different way. The Raider and Viking players picked up two important things that they, as runners-up, can uniquely use going forward. First, they got first-rate “classes” in competition, strategy, and team dynamics. And, whether they wanted or appreciated it at the time, they also got an element that will drive them the rest of their lives.

Experiencing defeat when you are that close to the top of the mountain is devastating in the moment, but the appreciation for what it took to make the climb is critical to future success. And seeing the celebration of your opponents, with whom you just did battle, lets you know that you have the talent to compete at the highest levels and a continuing, gnawing hunger to get there again.

I will be surprised if Reynoldsburg and Academy are not in the late rounds of the tournament again soon. But, whatever happens, I know their players, because of the coaching they received and the experiences they shared, will be successful in whatever they choose to do, provided they remember the climb. Nothing soft about that.