This is how I want my children to grow up.

There was garbage on television Sunday night, so I was watching SportsCenter on ESPN in the twins' room. Most of it was the usual highlights and scores, and they did this feature on LeBron James. But all through the show they were talking about this home run that everyone is talking about.

Sure enough, they did another feature, this time about a home run during a Division II women's softball game. This girl, Sara Tucholsky, hits a home run--and it's the only home run she's hit in her 4 year career. She's running the bases, and she misses first base. She goes to turn around, and she blows out her knee. The way the umpires on the field interpreted the rule, it seemed only two things could happen.

1. The trainers could run out on the field and help her, and she'd be out.
2. She could make her way back to first base, and they could put in a pinch runner. She'd have a two-run single instead of a three-run home run.

But then a third option arose. One of the players from the other team, Mallory Holtman, walks up to the umpire and says, "Could we carry her around the bases?" And sure enough, Mallory and one of her teammates picked up their opponent and carried her around the bases, allowing Sara to touch each base with her good leg. Mallory did it just because she felt Sara deserved to get what she'd earned. It was the right thing to do.

This is what I love about sports. Sports, when played the right way, are (and please, my female friends, pardon the expression) games for gentlemen (and ladies, I suppose)--not for "playaz" and "ballaz" and selfish people. Mallory Holtman is a wonderful example of what's right with sports--what's right with the world. This is how I want my children to be when they play sports.

And yes, I did get weepy when I watched the report.

Here's the video:
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/video?id=3380875