March Madness: Just About Basketball or a Metaphor for Life?

March is by far one of my favorite months of the year. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel on this thing people seem to love called winter and of course it brings the NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament.

I have always loved watching college basketball and every single year I hope and pray that somehow Michigan State will bring home the National Championship or at least get to the Final Four.

This year, my husband and I took our love of March to a new level by going to Indianapolis for the 2025 NCAA Big 10 Tournament. While it was such a great experience (despite the Spartans loss), as I sat in the arena watching the games, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a lesson in the craziness that comes from these basketball tournaments. In leaving the arena with fingernails bitten down (gross I know, sorry!) and a pit in my stomach from the stress of the intensity of the game, I realized there definitely is.

In life, we all have wins and losses every single day. There are ups and downs just like in basketball. Some days you have a career high in points and the next day you could play the worst game of your life. Not sure about you, but that seems a lot like my life to me.  As much as I want to be in control and put the things I’ve learned and my skills to work, some days it just doesn’t happen like I hope it will.

I think what we can learn from March Madness is that we should relish the unexpected, the “upsets,” the good games and the bad, and chalk it all up to a learning experience. A number one seed can get knocked off in the first round and a mid-range seeded team can have a Cinderella run that we all love to watch. In real-world terms, this means we need to expect that sometimes when we try our best or have certain expectations, the result will be disappointing.

In hindsight, it's funny to me that I love March Madness. I hate chaos and things I can’t control in my life and my blood pressure certainly goes up while rooting for the Spartans and for the teams I picked in my bracket. But I think the metaphor for life that March Madness truly teaches me is to embrace the unexpected and that it’s ok to struggle and not win, as long as you tried and hopefully learn something from the experience. 

And maybe… it’s good to still have a goal even if you can’t always achieve it. The same way I will always pick my Spartans to win the National Championship. There’s always a chance. Go Green!