Sometimes You Are Reminded It Is Only A Game

Every now and then I am reminded that things happen in the sporting world that carry far greater consequence than whether or not me or my team won or lost during the week. This week I was reminded not once, but twice.

The first incident was the shock passing of former ABC basketball commentator, Clinton Grybas, who at the age of just thirty two passed away last Saturday night.

Always enthusiastic and up to date on the goings on in most any sport, I always enjoyed running into Grybas and having a chat about anything and everything happening in the world of sport.

There was something about him that made you feel like this guy was going to become a voice of sport for years to come.

Grybas had moved on to join the AFL commentating ranks and it didn’t take long for his colleagues to acknowledge his talent. In fact, I had once heard him referred to by his peers as “the next Bruce McAvaney” - quite a compliment in the world of sport.

I was fortunate enough to see him work firsthand. He plied his trade with a dedication and work ethic that any of the professional sportsperson he spoke about on the field would be proud to call their own.

The second notable event involved Gold Coast Blaze import, Juaquin Hawkins who suffered a minor stroke and, as a result, will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Fortunately for Hawkins he is expected make a full recovery and be back on the court next year.

The eye-opening thing about this health scare with Hawkins is that anyone would take one look at the guy and assume his health would be the least of his concerns.

I know that I feel like because I’m relatively young and in good physical condition things like strokes are not something that can affect me. I now have to reevaluate this assumption to a certain degree. It is one of those situations where you take a little more notice of some things when you know something similar has happened to someone you know.

Now I’m not insinuating that once the ball is thrown up on Saturday night I will approach this or any game differently than my previous 400 odd games. But I am going to choose to use these events as valuable lessons that bring perspective to the life of sport.

Sometimes we need to be reminded to make the most of our opportunities while they are still in front of us.

My weekly column can be found in the Townsville Bulletin.