South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in a major upset this week.
But it was the Gamecocks Coach Frank Martin’s display of unabashed passion and courage that was most remarkable.
Outside the stadium before the game in Greenville, SC, protestors positioned a large Confederate flag, ensuring everyone would see it waving in the wind as they entered.
In the post-game press conference, Coach Martin intentionally commented where others might cower.
He could have ignored the controversy. He could have just basked in the glory that his team was headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.
But Coach Martin believed strongly that:
- not saying something would be saying something
- not saying something would be condoning the flag’s negative message
- not saying something would be a missed opportunity
Here are some highlights from his speech:
- “It’s [the protesting Confederate flag] unfortunate, but it’s America. We have freedoms. People have freedoms to do whatever they want to do with themselves and their property.”
- “There are things out there that I don’t like. But I can’t force people to do what I want them to do.”
- “All I know is this unbelievable university and state has taken in a son of Cuban immigrants that’s married to a Jamaican woman, has mixed kids, and they’ve treated me like I’m one of their own from Day 1.”
- “I wouldn’t want to coach in any other state or with any other group of people or for any other bosses than the ones I’ve got.”
We may not get a press conference for our achievements like Coach Martin, but every day we have the opportunity to exude passion for our work, genuinely appreciate our bosses and our peers, stand up for what we believe in, and model courage for the people on our teams.