It’s that time of year when March Madness seems to be on everyone’s mind, undeniably the best time of the year. Whether you work at or attended one of the schools represented in the 68-team men’s and women’s tournament field or are a fan of the underdog, you can hope to see another one of the great runs of recent history by teams like Saint Peter’s University, Florida Atlantic University, or Loyola University Chicago. This year, little-known Oakland University put itself on the map—in the metro area of Detroit and not in California—by eliminating the University of Kentucky from the tournament as No. 14 seed. And No. 11 North Caroline State upset Marquette and Duke, teams more favored and higher seeded, to return to their first Final Four since 1983.
There could be countless reasons why so many tune in at noon on that first Thursday and follow the tournament through to the Final Four, join groups of friends and co-workers in filling out brackets, and take time to learn about the lesser-known schools and mascots. However, for me, it’s the thought that anything can happen in two 20-minute halves of a basketball game. The tournament displays the players’ resilience, hours of preparation, and love for basketball and for the schools involved. Although controversies around name, image, and likeness (NIL), sports betting, and lucrative media contracts mean that the competition may not be as pure as it once was, I admire the celebration of talent and accomplishment in men’s and women’s basketball for these three weeks.
During the televised coverage leading up to Selection Sunday, as I was intently preparing my brackets, a story on ESPN’s SportsCenter caught my attention. It highlights the importance of resilience in basketball and the valuable lessons that we learn and teach every day. Kara Lawson, women’s coach at Duke University, told her team, “Handle hard better.” This video has gone viral, reaching viewers in sports, education, business, media, and leadership. Lawson’s message has resulted in thousands of notes sent to her about how she has inspired others to build resilience.
Lawson’s team entered the tournament this year as No. 7 seed, faced the Richmond Spiders, and eventually lost the elimination game to the University of Connecticut. She is a role model for young women who still fight to display the relevancy and importance of women’s collegiate sports on the national stage. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee who played in three Final Four tournaments, in the WNBA, and on the U.S. Olympic team.
As my residence hall apartment was filled with young women eating Oreos and cheering on Oakland University, I found comfort in the power of March Madness to bring people together. We want to share the strength of the players and hear their stories, which in many cases seem ordinary but are made remarkable by resilience and accomplishment.
One of my favorite public-service announcements features NCAA athletes and their career plans with the tagline, “There are over 380,000 student-athletes, and most of us go pro in something other than sports.” Whether our students are athletes or not, we help them daily to prepare for “going pro” in whatever careers they choose. And even beyond career planning, these young NCAA athletes also teach us and our students how to tell our own stories and build our own resilience. As Lawson’s message reminds us, “if you have a meaningful pursuit in life, it will never be easy.” We work with students each day to explore their callings and help them discern meaningful pursuits.
It can be argued that an easy life lacks meaning. Yet the hard moments don’t always make sense to our students, and we are called to accompany them through both the challenges and the joys. Sharing in the heartbreak and joy of March Madness encourages me to continue to accompany students in their pursuits and, as the sentimental yet powerful video of tournament highlights suggests each year, to reach for their “One Shining Moment” as they seek to achieve their goals and serve their communities.
Colleen Dunne is a rector at the University of Notre Dame. She previously served at Carroll College in Montana, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, and Santa Clara University. For other posts by Colleen, click here.