SPORTS December 6, 2004 ISSUE

While his team practiced . . .

By Barbara Vining

I LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE EXCEL. It encourages me. It shows what is possible to achieve in life through singular effort, discipline, and training.

Grace. Skill. Teamwork. Perseverance. Good sportsmanship. These are the hallmarks of a good athlete — whether an elementary school soccer player, an Olympic diver, or something in between — which can inspire us all to feel capable of moving beyond our own present level of achievement in whatever we are engaged. It's especially inspiring to see an athlete break out of the bonds of physical limitation — something everyone battles with in some way.