Finding the Value

Happy New Year! What a time to reflect on values of life. Many times we speak of the "value" of something...whether its the goods or services we purchase, or the value someone or something brings to our life. We strive to surround ourselves with individuals and experiences that add value to our lives. We do this through activities, friendships, hobbies, etc.

According to Google (or "The Gargle" as one of my relatives used to call it), "value" is defined as "n: the value something is held to deserve; the importance, worth or usefulness of something". The secondary definition is "a person's principles or standard of behavior; one's judgement of what is important in life." Corresponding verb definitions are "an estimate of monetary worth of something" or "to consider someone or something to be important or beneficial". Interesting. Value, in many cases, is like beauty...in the eye of the beholder. For example, some people find value in a nice bottle of wine, while I'm more of a Two-Buck Chuck kinda gal. (Well, less and less, but I digress).

Two-Buck Chuck...Thank you Charles Shaw

I think a lot about what gives my life value. Family. Friends. Experiences. Memories. Some of my fondest memories are of playing sports growing up. From rec basketball at Beech Acres (is that place still there?) and college softball, to golf, to now mountain biking, and CrossFit. I love the camaraderie, the challenge, the memories (like swiping my neighbor's side-view mirror off during a game of cul-de-sac kickball. I swear, when it happened, there wasn't another soul in sight, but when I shamefully walked up the street with a broom and dust pan, every single neighbor on the block was out. Anyone else have this experience?)

My point is, I believe sport brings value to individuals and community. In developing nations, sport as used as a catalyst for many outcomes, such as women's rights, education, and business opportunities. This is known as Sport for Development and Peace or SFD (very clever name, huh?). In fact, the United Nations even has an office on SFD which outlines some of the benefits of sport. See the website here: https://www.un.org/sport/content/why-sport/overview. Benefits identified by the UN include:

Cred: Dekh News, There is even a Sport for Development and Peace Day

• Individual development
• Health and disease prevention promotion
• Promotion of gender equality
• Peace building and conflict resolution

Among others. 

But what about in our own communities? How does sport influence the every day of our current lives? Is it economic impact? Exposure? Brand perception? Could it be the values we share?

Photo Credit: JUCO Tournament

In Grand Junction, we host the National Junior College World Series every year for the last 60 years. It's a part of the fabric of our community's DNA. A time when the town is a buzz. The highlight of the year on many residents' calendars. And it revolves around sport. Not pro athletes, but inspiring, driven, put-it-all-on-the-line college kids. It does something to our community that transcends 9-inning games on a baseball diamond.

It gives value...has worth, is a benefit, is held in high regard, and is useful. To the fans, the athletes, the local community, and so, so many more.

To me, his innocence of sport is the heart of its value, and from kids to adults, the value can shape not only who we are, but the community in which we reside. This might look different in every place, for every age, but the value is worth noting. At the sports commission, we're not just about bringing and building events for our community, we're about the bigger picture, the true value of sport to our community.

This is Stoll on Sports. Remember this quote from Einstein "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

Cheers to a valuable 2018!