Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

MARCH MADNESS

Seasons, Sports, and the Rhythm of Resilience

Madness isn’t chaos—it’s momentum. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores how seasonal shifts and basketball brilliance mirror the unpredictability of life, and why persistence is the real victory.

That is such a good title! Here, during the transition between winter and spring, there should be Madness. Yesterday, the sun was bright, the birds were enjoying the feeder just outside my window, and a gentle breeze was moving the clapper of the gong in the backyard. That was a lovely day. Today, the temperature has plummeted to some tragic number, the sky is a total slate gray with no light in sight, and the River Birch trees are bending in the wind as if they will never again be upright. This is March Madness. Driving me crazy!

Fortunately, March Madness has another meaning, and I do like basketball. That air-filled round leather thing that you can bounce on the driveway and hurl into the air to catch the rim of the hoop and fall gently through the net to bounce again on the blacktop and be caught for another shot is a marvelous orb. I love the feeling of it in your hand. Somehow, it seems to fit regardless of your age. The elementary school girl who needs to be lifted in the air to reach the rim is just as excited as the teen who can hurl that ball in a long arc to swish through the net and avoid the rim altogether. A sense of pride emerges at every age.

I grew up in Indiana, where basketball is a huge endeavor. Farmers abandon their tractors in the field to make it to the local high school gym to cheer on their team. Domes are built on college campuses to house the hordes that will flood the stands to watch the intense competition. As a girl living in Indianapolis, the Butler Field House was the place to be.

This year, the opening of this contest is March 16, the day I am writing this essay. Even though I no longer own a basketball, I can still feel the bumps on the round, air-filled leather ball I bounced in the driveway years ago. The college men who will put themselves out on the court will play their hardest. Some will be rewarded, and some will be defeated.

Life functions in the same way. We put ourselves out in the open and strive to hit the mark. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes we fail. Life requires us to pick the ball up again and return to the court regardless. That expectation can be a real challenge. What if we fail again? What if we miss our shot? What if we must pass it to someone else? What if we step out of bounds? What if we foul an opponent or, worse yet, block our teammate from scoring?

This game of life is challenging, and it requires practice. We must do the same thing over and over before we have mastery. Bounce, bounce, shoot. Bounce, bounce, shoot. Everything that we master requires repetition. Practice can be fun sometimes, grueling at others, and always necessary. Is it madness? Perhaps.

Want to explore how basketball and March Madness reflect life’s deeper lessons? Visit 5 Life Lessons That Basketball Teaches You, Memoir Example: March Madness and the Power of Persistence, and Matthews UMC’s reflections on March Madness and life.

If you’re reflecting on resilience, rhythm, or emotional growth, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support insight, healing, and personal mastery.