They played their hearts out, but the Hokies of Virginia Tech didn't make it to the Big Dance in 2016. But that doesn't mean that all they did was leave their hearts out on the court, before the game they did something that their head coach taught them to do: they showed respect and covered them with their hands.

In a time when athletes are more focused on fixing their shorts and jerseys or bouncing up and down to stay loose before taking the court, the Virginia Tech Hokies Head Coach Buzz Williams makes it clear that his players are not the ones who earned their chairs.

Before the basketball season, Coach Williams gathers his team to not only teach them about half-court presses and the offense they are going to run, but also life lessons that include money management, what they are going to do after their basketball careers end and RESPECT.

The season didn't end the way they would have hoped, but it began with Coach Williams bringing military veterans to practice and a reminder that they are the people that "earned the chair". Standing face-to-face with military veterans that have served our country, Coach Williams uses this as an opportunity to teach his team about respecting the National Anthem. He says,

So when the Anthem is played, we’re going to stand like grown men and we’re going to honor men like this, that gave their life, so we can have a chair to sit in.

So even though you won't be able to find this team from Blacksburg, Virginia on your NCAA Tournament Bracket, Coach Buzz Williams and his team deserve their "One Shining Moment".

Source: Chron


See Also:

More From KXRB