On January 2nd, the sports world as we know it came to a halt when 24 year old Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field. Everyone’s thoughts and prayers went up as 65,000 people watched in terror as Damar Hamlin went down. Rushed to the hospital, he was put there for nine days as doctors ran tests to figure out what happened. He is making an outstanding recovery and is now able to speak and walk again. But, what impact did Hamlin leave on the field and in our hearts? Every week, we sit down and watch football so excited to see  our favorite teams do well, if we’re lucky.  As well as get ticked off at the players  who are benched because of a “stupid injury” or “dumb decision.” It becomes a normal part of watching football every week. But what does this mean now? Damar Hamlin has shown us just how precious life is and how we take it for granted. What happened to Hamlin puts a perspective on life. How not only do we take life for granted but how people can get seriously hurt and it’s not something we can forget about. We can now not only have a different view on sports but for the people in it. For the past week, coaches, athletes, and sport leagues have been talking about what happened – even coaches at LTHS. It shows a  different kind of attitude as players walk on the field. Damar Hamlin might not ever play again, but he definitely made an impact that has shocked the world to its core. It’s an impact that will affect us forever and something football fans will never forget. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar Hamlin as he returns to this shocking reality and whatever future path he might take.