Humaninzing stories

At its absolute best, sports can teach us about life. It can teach us valuable lessons about teamwork, fair play, practice and achieving goals. And often times, experiences on the court or the field can serve as a metaphor for experiences in life.

But while sports can serve as a great tool, sometimes sports stories are just a simple way of connecting us to gripping human stories. The linked stories below are not sports stories. They are stories about life and death. One is a tale of great tragedy. The other is a tale of great triumph. Both are connected only by the fact that the protagonist was in some way involved in sports.

First is a gut-wrenching story flooded with tragic details that have still not been completely sorted out. Read this heartbreaking article first to become acquainted with the story of Tim Parmeter, former coach at Eastern Arizona. Then brace yourself for the second part of this story that just gets more and more depressing.

After reading about Parmeter, you need a pick-me-up tale, something that shows the good in humanity. Perhaps there is no greater story from the past year of overcoming the odds and fighting for life than that of Kevin Everett. When he was paralyzed following a special teams tackle in week one, doctors feared for his life. If you haven’t been following since then, you have to read this article. It’s nothing short of miraculous where he’s at today.