#1More4Lauren

There are some athletes who are heroes for all the right reasons.  The phenomenal number of shots they make. The charities they support. Their character on and off the court. Some athletes seem destined to be heroes.

There are some athletes that are heroes for all the wrong reasons.  Their attitudes on the court and the way they carry themselves, their images that leave much to desire.

And then there is Lauren Hill.  I don't think she ever set out to be a hero. She just loves to play basketball.

And her love for basketball, her will to live, her fight to make a layup... has made the basketball nation love her.

Lauren is a freshman in college who has brain cancer.

Terminal brain cancer.

Inoperable brain cancer.

Lauren has set out to show brain cancer who is boss.

Basketball is a sport of agility. Hand eye coordination. Speed and finesse.

All of which are affected by brain cancer.

Lauren didn't care. Determined, she continued her basketball career at Mount Saint Joseph. She wanted to play.

The NCAA agreed to move the first season game up a few weeks, and Lauren took the floor.

She scored the first two points of the 2014-15 NCAA Women's basketball season.

She was awarded the  “Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award”, which is usually given during the NCAA women's Final Four.

She has captured my heart, and I don't even know her...

Because being an athlete is difficult.  And fighting cancer is difficult. Doing them both at the same time..

Near impossible...

Lauren teaches us to never give up on our dreams. She teaches us that heart is sometimes worth more than anything on the court. She teaches us that there is still good in this world, and that the goodness involves striving for the best in ourselves and each other.

Thank you, Lauren, from sports fans everywhere. Fans like me need a reminder,often, of just what the game is about... and today, you've given me that reminder.