Playing with Joy!

I am a Golden State Warriors fan. But it wasn’t always so. A few years ago, I didn’t even know, or frankly care, about who the Warriors were. But that all changed when my husband John and I, plus our dog Cosi, embarked on a cross-country trip in Baci, our white VW van.

All went better than expected, with carefree driving and fun camping along the way–Sugar Pine Campground at Lake Tahoe, The Great Basin of Nevada, the Colorado Rockies and beyond. The three of us really did manage quite well, she says, in our close van quarters, doing what campers do.            

But there was a challenge. John wanted to listen to the Warriors games during the NBA finals, which just happened to coincide with our journey east. Unfortunately (or was it?), our car radio couldn’t pick up the games out in the wild. As we brainstormed how to coordinate our love of nature and his interest the Warriors, we came up with an obvious solution–we’d just have to find a motel room with cable TV for those nights when they were playing.

Hmm…I began to take an interest. That meant that we would have a shower just feet away from our beds and enough room to spread out our books and clothes. We could easily make a cup of coffee in our room and get Margaritas and enchiladas at local Mexican restaurants. Even Cosi could enjoy more spacious digs, running around the room, shaking and catapulting Lambie, her white woolen toy into the air. All this plus a television set. Score!

Since the raison d’être for our intermittent spaciousness and comfort was that Warriors basketball team, I figured I owed them at least a look-see. Then the unexpected happened. I became hooked…and still am… by Steph Curry, the three point shooter with his smile and rambunctious mouth guard, Klay Thompson with his always-composed way of playing, Draymond Green with his aggressive offense and defense and his muscle-flexing gestures, and all the bench players who play with such heart. Plus, there’s the talented coach, Steve Kerr, who says “The value that means the most to our team is joy, and it’s reflected in the way we play.”* Indeed. How could I not be a Warriors fan!

For the record, we had a glorious cross-country trip, alternating pristine campsites with motel rooms, and the best news is that the Warriors won. And now they’re at it again. What a joy to watch players perform with such exuberance talent and, yes, joy! Go Warriors!

*For an interview podcast on his coaching philosophy, here’s a link: https://devzone.positivecoach.org/resource/audio/steve-kerrs-4-core-values-joy-mindfulness-compassion-competition