It’s 11:30 p.m. on a March Friday night at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tennessee and the last game of the second round of the NAIA Women’s Basketball Division I National Tournament is currently on the court. Hands rest on the keyboard prepared to enter the next missed shot and rebound for whichever team is presently playing; however, the mind struggles a bit to recall which team is home or guest on the scoreboard. After all, it’s game #24 that you’ve statted in the last three days and the jerseys and teams tend to run together. Thankfully your spotter is there to assist and correct so that at the end of the half your box score balances. You may be present in a basketball venue rather than a boxing ring, but after the many hours sitting courtside, you may act a little punch-drunk and giggly. It’s in these moments that relational equity gets invested.

Spending numerous hours side-by-side at the scorer’s table in extremely close proximity with only a few feet between the table in front of you and the concrete partial-wall behind you makes for an intimate setting. You’ve now shared every waking hour of the last few days with this volunteer crew, dining together, sharing stories during half-time when you weren’t dashing for a restroom break, and passing candy down the row. You’ve managed the lyrics and hand motions to the song YMCA at least a dozen times, you can perform the Macarena sitting in your chair, and find famous faces in the spartan late-night crowd to keep you awake. You form a bond with these sport-loving, community-oriented creatures that become a part of your NAIA posse. Returning year after year for a type of family reunion each March, we catch up on news that has occurred in the last 12 months.

For those who have experienced a sporting event like this tournament, you understand the investment of relational equity in people only seen periodically, but you cannot deny the bond exists. Thankfully the creation of social media at least allows us access to information on each other throughout the year. Personally, the relational equity established with my sport family has allowed me to flourish both personally and professionally. Acquaintances became friends and supporters who have championed for me in more ways than one.

For me, involvement in sports has not been about the result at the end of the contest, although winning provides a wealth of memories. Instead, sports have provided me with so many relationships that I deeply value, even if those relationships were only for a season of my life. God has used sports as a platform for me to develop lasting friendships, earn an income, and a place to feel at home. My hope is that others feel the same and that you will share your stories in the comments below.

A later posting will discuss the concept that winning isn’t everything but not to diminish the way that God can use sports in a life-transforming way. So, I invite you to engage in that conversation and many more to come!