So Long Big Zesty

I won’t pretend that I’ve known Zach Littlefield since he was born. I’ve known him less than a year. I don’t even know why he is called Big Zesty. I’ve barely spoken more than a few sentences to him.  I won’t even pretend that I have all of the answers as to why his life ended on Center Hill Church Road yesterday evening. I can’t even say that I know the pain the Littlefield family is feeling tonight, because I don’t. I can only imagine that it’s an emptiness that any parent hopes they never experience. A parent’s worst nightmare. The loss of their child.

I do know that I have a 15-year old son that is mourning the loss of his friend and teammate. I can see the impact that Zach had on my son, the many friends at his school, and the Walton County community. The Facebook posts on Zach’s wall speaks volumes to the kind of person he was, and is a tribute to the young man who I barely knew. 

All of my observations of Zach Littlefield have been from a distance. Most of the time, it was from the basketball stands. He would be the first to admit that he was not the best basketball player on the team and he was very seldom in the game.  But, when Zach entered the game you knew it. When he did enter the game, he made sure that he got his money’s worth and left his mark. He had the football mentality on the basketball court. Like a bull in a china shop. He was aggressive and made sure the other team knew he was there. To block meant to hack. To guard meant to push. To shoot meant to throw. To dribble meant to run.  You could always count on 2 to 3 good fouls from Zach!

Every basketball team that I’ve ever played on had a Zach Littlefield on it. He enjoyed playing the game and when he got his opportunity to play,  he made the most of it. He had that team spirit that very few players ever have.  He always put the team before himself and he always had your back.  That’s one of the lessons that we can learn from Zach is to make the most of your opportunities.  Every day is a gift from God.  Every day is a blessing. When it’s your turn to perform, be sure to make the most of the opportunities that you’ve been given.  Remember, it’s a gift.

Andrew Schneider once said, “A man should not leave this earth with unfinished business. He should live each day as if it was a preflight check. He should ask each morning, am I prepared to lift-off? Zach never left any unfinished business on the basketball court. He played with every ounce of effort and determination that he could muster. He played as if it was his last game and it was….so long Zach Littlefield.