For the Love of the Game

It is Monday. The house is clean, laundry is put away, food is prepped, and the Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl.

I will let you in on a little secret. I am not into sports, but as a recent transplant from the Kansas City area, I should be a little over the top about this year’s Super Bowl. Especially in contrast to the raving Eagles fans in the office.

Sports are a big deal for many people we serve through Target. I am regularly updated on the weekend’s wins and losses, who is playing in the coming days, and when those contests are set to begin. As folks arrive each morning, a parade of t-shirts and jerseys with favorite teams and players is regularly displayed. Is it widely accepted that Eagles fans are the most…how do you say…committed…or should be committed?  I have tripled the number of professional baseball teams I’ve watched in person since arriving in Maryland.

As with all die-hard sports ball fans, experiencing the season unfold is to participate in a story. (These are the words of Tim, my cousin’s husband. Credit where credit is due). The drama of victory and defeat, injuries and comebacks, upsets and underdogs. Stories that are accessible to all regardless of ability. Weekly celebrations of family and pride in our teams and our cities.

Mostly I will take my sports in movie form. I will watch Major League any day of any week. I will ache with anxiety as Kevin Costner attempts the lay-up repeatedly in Tin Cup. Do not even get me started on Cool Runnings.

Full disclosure: I follow The University of Kansas basketball team but have yet to find a place to watch the games since moving to Westminster.

Sports provide our individuals with access to the community as athletes and spectators. Target supports a world-champion sailor. Let us read that again—a world-champion sailor.

This Friday, members of the Target Team will participate in the corporate Polar Plunge to support the Maryland Special Olympics. An organization that facilitates access and awareness in sports for those with disabilities. A Plunge has long been a bucket list item for me. I will keep my fingers crossed for warmer weather. Check out the link below if you would like to support Target’s efforts to raise money for the Special Olympics.  As an agency, we are about $500 short of our fundraising goal.

https://support.somd.org/fundraiser/4327116

Go Chiefs. Rock Chalk. Can I plan the snack menu?