Whether you’re an avid college basketball fan, only tune in to watch a game when it’s March Madness, or aren’t interested in the sport at all, it’s likely you’ve heard the name “Loyola” in the past month. Social media posts were bursting at the seams with information about the team, and sportscasters couldn’t help but talk about Sister Jean — Loyola’s 98-year-old super fan and now national sensation.
To get you up to speed, the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers came into the NCAA men’s basketball tournament as the 11th seed. They worked their way through the brackets by first taking down No. 6-Miami with a buzzer beater, No. 3-Tennessee, No. 7-Nevada with a 3-pointer in the last six seconds, and No. 9-Kansas State. The Ramblers made history with these games by being one of only four 11th seed teams to ever reach the Final Four.
I had particular interest in watching Loyola play, as I received my MBA from the university…and, ironically, went to high school and was friends with head coach Porter Moser at Benet Academy. It made this year’s March Madness a “can’t-miss” event for me.
I heard the term “Cinderella story” being thrown around a lot. It seemed fitting, not only because of the history-making climb through the brackets, but also because the 1963 Loyola Ramblers will forever be remembered as the team that broke racial barriers while winning a national championship at the height of the Civil Rights movement. That alone is awe-inspiring. An added perk for me, though, was watching how seamlessly the current five players on the court worked together. The whole “there’s no I in team” comes to mind.
What I saw unfold was the amazing chemistry and dynamics of the team. It wasn’t about one individual being the “star.” It was about everyone working together, using each of their own skills, and collectively pooling that talent to win. It reminded me of how our Holmes Murphy employees complement each other. We don’t have just one shining star…our entire workforce is made up of individual talents. Each of those talents alone is great, but when we tie them together to form a team, we create a framework that allows us to deliver the best of what we have to our clients.
Unfortunately, Loyola lost to Michigan in the Final Four, crushing their national championship dreams. But Sister Jean’s regular pregame message may have provided some helpful foresight. The players said she told them: “Play hard, play together, and play smart, and hopefully you’ll come out on top. If it doesn’t happen, it wasn’t meant to be.” Some very sound advice…advice I think we’ll plan to live by at Holmes Murphy.
