Charita Goshay: Jackson fans exhibit true sportsmanship
It would be disingenuous to pretend that winning football games — especially in Northeast Ohio — isn't important.
But UCLA football coach Henry Sanders was wrong when he coined the phrase, "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing."
The kicker is, the kids on the field often aren't the problem. As we grow up, one of the most shocking things we discover is how childish adults can be.
Stories of parents threatening game officials and brawling in the stands at pee-wee hockey, T-ball, and Pop Warner games no longer raises eyebrows, their only value being that they drive online clicks.
We have long valued sports as means of developing character and excellence. We say this, even as we demonize a 15-year-old when he fumbles a ball, and send death threats to college basketball players.
So, when some adults exhibit the exact opposite of such behavior, it merits our attention.
Earlier this month, sportsmanship took on real meaning following a football game at Jackson High School, when an opposing player, KeJuan Robinson of Boardman, was injured during a play.
Even as the 17-year-old was lying on the field, some Jackson players, students and parents began taking action.
"He was not moving; you could hear pin drop," said Debra York, a Jackson band mom. "It was silent. I was praying for him as were other people around me. I didn't know if he was paralyzed; his helmet flew off. Both teams took a knee. A lot of the band kids saw what happened because of where their seats are. A bunch of the kids were crying. Afterward, I went up to one of the Boardman parents and I asked if they could keep us updated. I was worried about how he was."
Robinson's family wasn't able to attend the game.
"I thought, he lives an hour away; my heart was broken for him," York said. "I wanted to be sure he knew there were people in the community who were praying for him and wondering how he was doing."
The next day, York and her daughter Ilana, who plays flute in the Jackson band, visited Robinson at Aultman Hospital. The roster of visitors soon included Jackson players, coaches and their spouses, and other concerned fans.
York said she was informed by Robinson's uncle that KeJuan had a severe concussion, a result of a blow to the back of his head after his helmet came off.
"I held his hand and we prayed for his recovery," she said. "I took a photo of him and Ilana. We visited a second day and he was able to say a few words. ... His aunt told me that two weeks before at their church, one of the ladies was praying for his protection."
Rayletta Robinson, who is raising KeJuan, said she's been moved by the outpouring of support by Jackson players and fans.
"They were very, very concerned about KeJuan's health when they came up," she said. "It was very impressive. The guy who made the tackle felt so bad about it, but I told him 'Things happen. It's part of the game.'"
York said Robinson's aunt also informed her that KeJuan lost a brother two months prior, as well as some other family members.
KeJuan is making progress. He's has started physical therapy and is able to walk a little without his walker.
"He's a walking miracle," said York, who made KeJuan a bracelet and gave him a stone from the Valley of Elah, where David slew Goliath according to the Bible.
Rayletta Robinson describes her nephew as a true Spartan, "a strong and determined young man."
"He just wants everybody to pray for his recovery," she said. "And I'd like to thank everyone for their constant prayers and their gift, from the bottom of my heart."
The communities of upper-middle-class Jackson Township and working-class Boardman are disparate enough that their residents have no real reason to cross paths outside of sports.
We know that prejudices and assumptions often are carried into the stands, sometimes spilling on the field, but what is believed and assumed and chanted isn't always what's true.
What could have been an expression of concern with no real commitment has blossomed into a relationship of mutual grace and caring for a young man.
"I got to meet a really sweet family. I got to not only say I care and was praying for him, but I got to show that by my actions," York said. "Throughout my life, I've had people pour into me and show they cared, and I wanted him to have that as well. I didn't want to just tell him I was praying for him. I wanted him to see, even though we didn't know him personally. But now we do."
Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and a member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP