There’s something about March Madness that pulls people in.The buzzer beaters. The Cinderella stories. The idea that, on any given day, someone unexpected might rise to the moment.And every year, it reminds me of my own brief—and I do mean brief—basketball career.

The Background

I’m 5’3”.
Athletic has never been the word people use to describe me.But in middle school, I decided to try out for the basketball team at D.A. Smith Middle School in Ozark, Alabama.

To this day, I’m still not entirely sure how I made it.

I’m pretty confident Coaches Margaret Ross and Paul McNair saw something in me…
And by “something,” I mean determination. Maybe effort. Possibly exhaustion from watching me try.

Because talent? That wasn’t it.

I showed up to practice.
I gave it everything I had.
And I became an excellent encourager from the sidelines.

Time to Go Dancing

Game day finally came.

And in one shining moment—my very own version of March Madness—I got put into the game.

For exactly four seconds.

Four.

Seconds.

I’m fairly certain the clock operator blinked and missed my entire athletic career. But here’s the thing—I didn’t quit. I stayed on the team.
I finished the season. I kept showing up.

And at the end of the year, I got my letter.

Not for basketball.

For academics.

And honestly, that might have been one of the most important moments of clarity I’ve ever had.

Moments to Celebrate

Because sometimes, we spend so much time trying to prove we belong somewhere… That we miss where we actually shine. I wasn’t meant to be the one making the shot. I was meant to be the one communicating, connecting, leading, and creating. It just took me a season—and four seconds—to start figuring that out.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s value in trying new things.
There’s value in stretching yourself.
There’s value in showing up even when you’re not the best in the room.

But there’s also wisdom in recognizing your strengths, and having the confidence to lean into them.

March Madness celebrates the unexpected wins.

But real success?

It comes when you stop trying to play someone else’s game…
And start owning your own.

(And for the record… I’m still undefeated in academic lettering.)

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