Thursday, June 25, 2009

Littler girls need bigger girls

One of the six (baller) kids I took to the Sparks game Sunday night is the daughter of a friend of mine. All the kids were sitting in other areas, but when the seat next to me was open, I invited J to come sit there.

After the final buzzer and the handshakes, Sparks players started heading towards the tunnel to get to the locker room. J and the other kids crowded towards the railing with others and stretched out their hands toward the players as they walked by. I noticed that Candace Parker reached up and touched J's hand as she strolled.

J is a quiet kid, so I had no idea what that moment meant to her until yesterday, when I talked to her mom. My friend said J texted her right after the incident and said, "I touched Candace Parker's hand and I didn't even cry." Because I guess J had done the low-five thing with CP once before, and she got all emotional afterwards.

I was a bit blown away by that. Basketball players are such role models for the young women who look up to them. They exemplify strong women, and they show them that anything is possible.

I'm glad that most WNBA players seem to understand and appreciate that fact, and that they are good to their fans. Because little girls need big girls.

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