A letter to the fan in the stands

Hello fan,

This is how I will greet you because that's what we say in the USA. The United States of America, our home, Texas to be exact. (Sometimes we even say hey y'all!). Our home that we leave for 9 months out of the year to come see what your country is like & to entertain you in the world of basketball. 

So let me first extend gratitude. Thank you for taking time out of your weekend to come watch my husband perform. Thank you for spending your hard earned money on tickets to watch this game. Thank you for cheering loudly & chanting praise to our team. Thank you for shaking hands & singing songs after every game win or lose. I see you in the stands, your emotions, your excitement, your children's hands waving in the air. My husband sees that too. It encourages him to push through & play harder. So thank you. 

I also see you in the stands yelling, angry, walking out, & later posting on social media outlets some of the cruelest words I've heard. My son sees you as well. I see you curse at my husband when he misses a shot, he's unhappy about that too. I see you starting to give up on the team when we are down, grabbing your jackets to head home, we hope to turn the game around & win. But if we lose, I know you will be upset, sad, & frustrated. But you know what? My husband will too. He will go home with his head down, crushed. He wants to win too! He will blame himself for missing a shot or not making the right pass or not playing hard enough to make himself, his team, & the fans all proud. I see you write on social media that my husband played terrible or didn't play the best defense. Believe me, he knows. Because of that feeling he will be up tomorrow morning watching film, in the weight room, going through dribbling drills, trying to do better the next time.

And for that fan that loudly is bashing my husband, I see you; but more importantly my son does too. He is the one who joins my husband in the gym on off days to watch him shoot. He joins my husband after the games to hug him & play, even though daddy doesn't feel so happy. He is the one who thinks that man you called horrible things is the best guy on earth! Instead of going to the zoo or hanging out at the playground, my husband leaves our family to go get treatment to keep his body in shape or to rest because he's just so exhausted from that game you just watched. 

So I see you, every type of fan. And next year, I will face another 5,000 or more of you & will have the same letter. You will have a new person to be a fan of, in whatever way you choose. But just remember please, that man wants to do his best, that athlete wants to win, that player has character & a heart for the game, that guy wants to be a winner & a champion, & most importantly he has a family. He works hard, leaves home, goes on road trips, skips family events, all for your entertainment & the benefit of the team & organization. That man is human. He makes mistakes, he screws up, he has an off night, he just doesn't get it right sometimes. That man is also a rockstar. Some games he is on fire & the energy in the arena makes that 3 seem like the best thing ever, the chanting makes the win so sweet, the "defense-defense" encouragement gets him the steal. And that heart of a champion, win or lose will always be in him, no matter what, always. 

Bye y'all, 

From the wife in row #2 section A

((photo taken H. Adelmann))