Broomball is a game similar to hockey played as an intramural sport at many colleges. Teams are co-ed. Players wear sneakers on an ice rink. The game is played with brooms and a small orange ball the size of a softball.
The game is my favorite intramural sport, and I captained a team for four years at B.U.
My girlfriend Amy was a strong defenseman on our team.
In our final season, our team made the playoffs for the first time. We took a 3-0 lead against a team with only one good player whose orange shirt was emblazoned with the word "Juice".
Juice led a come back by scoring one goal and setting up another.
After our team swarmed on offense in the closing minutes, Juice stole the puck and headed up ice with only one defender in his path, my girlfriend Amy. I chased from behind.
Amy and Juice collided at center ice. Both fell, but only Juice stood up. Amy stayed down wincing in pain.
Juice now had a chance to tie the score and I was the only person with any hope of stopping him. However, my girlfriend lay in pain at my feet.
Time slowed as I wrestled with whether to stop and help Amy or pursue Juice.
I stopped. Juice scored.
Amy had broken her arm.
I took her to the emergency room. Our team lost 4-3 in overtime.
I decided to stop because there are some things which are more important than winning or losing a game. Friends and relationships last a lifetime.
Winning a playoff game in my favorite sport is a tough feeling to beat, but respecting and valuing other people is of the utmost importance.