Mind Over Sports

The above was the headline that appeared in this morning’s sports page when reporting Texas Christian University’s victory over Missouri State University. Two years ago the team adopted a young boy with cancer named Micah Ahern as part of the Horned Frogs baseball team’s participation in the IMPACT program that pairs sports teams with sick children. Micah proved to be an inspiration to the team and even though in July, 2016, Micah died from cancer at the age of 7, he continues to be the team’s inspiration. I call this “excelling for a higher order” when athletes take on a cause that enhances their feelings of self-worth. And the higher their self-worth, the closer they perform to their skill levels on a consistent basis. Of course, enhanced performance by a team is only a by-product of the program. No team adopts a child to help them win games. But the fact of the matter is, it happens. Every NCAA college sports team in America should join the IMPACT program and help sick kids.