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Monday, November 3, 2008
Heart of the Matter
Fort Worth, TX
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Photo(s) By: Kyle Danztler/MyActionPortraits.com
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One Foot Equals Many Shoes
Did you hear the one about the college basketball coach who went barefoot during a game?
He bared his SOUL.
OK, so while the pun may be weak, the coach’s move was anything but.
Ron Hunter, the head basketball coach at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, went barefoot during a game on January 25, 2008 to raise awareness for needy children in Africa. The move inspired donations of 110,000 pairs of shoes, which, along with a $20,000 gift, were donated to the non-profit organization Samaritan’s Feet. The shoes were then distributed to children in need around the world.
When Hunter first came up with the idea, his goal was to collect 40,000 pairs of shoes in honor of the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So, he coached the entire game against Oakland University without shoes. Some fans in attendance also went barefoot. Hunter was moved by the outpouring of support, saying, “When we started this I thought 40,000 was going to be tough. When they told me before the game we already had 100,000, honestly, I almost broke down in tears.”
The coach appeared on several television and radio shows to pitch his idea and encourage others to join him. Soon, the likes of Converse, Wal-Mart, Nine West and the Department of Homeland Security all jumped in. The result was that more than 100,000 kids around the world received what may be their first pair of shoes ever, all because one man had an idea and decided to act on it.
“There are hundreds of millions of children who don’t have shoes,” Coach Hunter said of the effort. “They suffer from diseases, infection and many other ailments because they don’t have shoes to wear. Needless to say, they can’t play sports without shoes.
“We have been given an incredible opportunity and platform as coaches to use our status as role models for others and help children in need.”
Great works often start with simple ideas. A dream in the heart of one man or woman can literally change a part of the world. What one “small” thing can you dream that can make a huge difference? What will you do to act upon that dream? •
So You Want to Be a Referee?
Veteran basketball officials Cliff Ogden and Alex George learned firsthand just how difficult the job of a referee can be. The year was 1956, and Ogden and George were officiating a game between the University of Wichita and the University of Detroit, being played on Wichita’s home court, which was known in those days for hosting crowds that were unruly and often inebriated.
Detroit was down by one point with four seconds to play as they began to inbound the ball. They pushed the ball into the frontcourt and before time ran out, a Detroit player was able to get off a shot. As Ogden and George both followed the arc of the ball toward the hoop, they were shocked to see that a Wichita fan had tossed an overcoat from the field house balcony and landed it right over the rim. The ball hit the coat and bounced away as the buzzer sounded.
As Ogden and George contemplated what call to make, they were surrounded by a wild mob of Wichita fans who were scrambling across the court celebrating.
George turned to Ogden and said, “It’s 120 feet to our dressing room, and I’m not going to call it anything until we both get to the door.”
With the door locked behind them, George notified both teams that he had called the shot good, and the basket gave Detroit a one-point win.
Ogden and George waited until they could hear no fans remaining in the field house before leaving their dressing room and heading home. It was a situation they hoped they would never face again.
Steve Riach is an author, filmmaker and is the founder of Heart of a Champion, a non-profit organization helping develop character in students throughout America. To find out how Heart of a Champion can be implemented in your school, visit us at www.HeartofaChampion.org.
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