Perspective

Over the past month, collegiate sports were put in perspective for me and a host of other people. First, there was the horrific bus accident that claimed the life of five Bluffton College baseball players, the driver and his wife. Then just today, Jason Ray - the person inside the North Carolina University mascot costume died of his injuries suffered near the team hotel. While walking back from getting a snack, Ray was struck by an SUV. He spent the last three days of his life in critical condition in a New Jersey hospital.

The 21-year old was just a month from graduating with a degree and had a job already lined up.

These are young adults who have lost their lives doing the things they loved - playing sports. It's just ironic that these events happened months after the release of the "We Are Marshall". The movie that chronicled the plane crash that nearly decimated the Marshall University football team.

As I travel frequently with the Thomas More athletic teams, its hard not to think about these tragedies everytime you step foot on a bus. Student-athletes and coaches all over the country, every single day, step foot on busses and travel to intercollegiate contests. Yet, once at these events, there are times where they are subject to personal attacks from fans. Sure fans pay their admission and that yields them a certain freedom. But before you as a fans gets irrate cuz your favorite team loses a close match, or someone missed a critical free throw, field goal or fly ball ... Remember Bluffton University, Marshall University, Kenyon College, Jason Ray and the many STUDENT-ATHLETES that are involved in intercollegiate athletics