In many ways, sports in America are sacred. Not only are sports a source of entertainment, a time where friends and family can come together to watch a game, but they also encourage values of fair play, sportsmanship, teamwork and hustle. Watching and participating in sports is about more than just winning. It is the manifestation of athletic excellence and the drive to reach one’s potential. It is about overcoming loss, injury and unfavorable odds. From this perspective, sports function as a distraction from the hardships of reality and as a metaphor of important life lessons. However, what is the role of sports in the face of tragedies and under what circumstances should athletes refrain from playing at all?

There have been countless injuries during sporting events; from broken limbs to torn ligaments, injuries can be pretty gruesome. But cardiac arrest mid-game is much less common. That was until Jan. 2, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, suffering cardiac arrest in front of tens of thousands of fans in the stadium and millions watching on TV. Hamlin received CPR in front of his teammates and after 16 minutes was finally taken off the field in an ambulance. According to the National Football League (NFL) rules, the game was to resume after a five minute break. However, after a tense conversation between both head coaches and players, the teams mutually agreed to withdraw from the game and return to their locker room. As expected, debates immediately raged across social media over whether or not the game should have continued. Trey Montgomery, the mens’ head basketball coach at Colgate University tweeted, “Cancel the game. Life is bigger than sports. Prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family. God wrap your arms around that young man tonight.” 

While most people agreed with him, some believe that injuries aren’t out of the ordinary and the game should have continued. Skip Bayless, a reporter for ESPN, tweeted, “No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game – but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.” After about an hour of waiting, the NFL made an announcement that the game was to be postponed, and eventually it was canceled. Fortunately, Hamlin is on a steady path to recovery since suffering cardiac arrest. 

While many worldwide sports fans were focused on Hamlin’s collapse, both in his wellbeing and the incident’s implications on the NFL season, in Marin, we have been coping with a tragedy that has hit much closer to home. 

On Dec. 30, 2022, five Marin teens were involved in a horrific car accident that left two dead and the other three with severe injuries. One of the teens that passed away was Terra Linda junior and varsity basketball player Jameson Zamlich. 

Jameson Zamlich grew up playing basketball for his middle school, Miller Creek, and the North Bay Basketball Academy (NBBA). I had the privilege and honor of playing with Jameson on a 5th-6th grade NBBA team, and everyone on the team knew how happy and positive he was. On Jan. 7, just a week after the accident, our varsity basketball team, on which I play, faced off against a grieving Terra Linda team. As I walked on the court and saw two Terra Linda players who had once played alongside me and Jameson, I noticed their usual smiles were gone. While we won the game, the thrill of victory was lost because the opposing team didn’t have their hearts in it. 

At some point during the game I started to wonder why we were even playing. Did this game really matter that much? Did Terra Linda really want to play? Is there a time when playing sports becomes inappropriate? While each tragedy is unique to those experiencing it, experts underscore the importance of embracing grief and allowing it to pass through, instead of bottling it up and suppressing it. Beyond the competition and rivalries, behind the blood, sweat and tears is a bond amongst people who share a common passion and the commitment to pursue athletic excellence. Jameson Zamlich will always be remembered for his positive energy and our hearts go out to his family as well as to those of the other victims.