The world of sports can be medicine for what ails the real world (COLUMN)

Victoria Soto was a big fan of the New York Yankees and her favorite player was probably star shortstop and team captain Derek Jeter.

When the 2013 baseball season begins in April, the 27-year-old teacher will not be among the throngs at the team’s home opener as she was one of the 28 people who were killed last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Soto was killed while trying to protect students in her first-grade class.
Laid to rest Wednesday, Soto’s mother Donna Soto received a telephone call on the same day from somebody affiliated with her daughter’s favorite baseball team.
It wasn’t someone with the public relations department or a representative of the Steinbrenner family who placed the call.
It was none other than Jeter himself who called Donna Soto on one of the worst days in her life to offer his condolences and speak with her a moment.
James Wiltsie, a cousin of Victoria Soto, told the New York Daily News about the loyalty she had toward the Yankees and what it meant for Jeter to call.
 "Vicki loved the Yankees -- that was part of her eulogy," Wiltsie told the paper. "No one in the family reached out, so (Jeter) must have heard about it and ... reached out.
Nothing is going to fix the fact that Donna had to bury her daughter today, but I'm happy that it brought some comfort. and people like Jeter have reached out. It brings some comfort to know that people recognize Vicki as a hero."
Amen to that Mr. Wiltsie.
Your cousin was a hero when she didn’t need to be but there are some six-year-old children who will get the chance to play for the Yankees or become a teacher like Victoria Soto.
I am not a huge Yankees fan since I am deep into following my beloved Atlanta Braves, but one of those who is a favorite of the other clubs is Jeter.
He may be a bit of a player in the city that never sleeps, I don’t read about those activities and SportsCenter is not telling me that he is suspended for 60 days for juicing and he is not sitting in a Manhattan jail for killing someone.
What Jeter means to me is the good that is in sports when we read or hear about the domestic disputes, the DWI stops or the cheating to hit 8000 home runs.
Jeter is part of a medication designed to help try to make the world feel better despite all of the problems that exist.
Another person that can used for medicinal purposes is Chuck Pagano who is the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
Pagano was hired by the Colts to steer the club through the beginning of the post-Peyton Manning era and the record was of no concern to the club as they were in rebuild mode.
The Colts were off to a 1-2 start and all was well in the Hoosier state until news broke during the team’s bye week.
The club reported that Pagano was diagnosed with non-life threatening Leukemia and would have to take a leave of absence as head coach for chemotherapy treatment which would last for several weeks.
Bruce Arians was named interim head coach and the story of the 2012 season for the Colts and their fallen leader.
In the first game under Ariens, the Colts came from behind to defeat the Green Bay Packers 23-20 in an emotional game for a movement that became known as “Chuckstrong”.
The Colts lost a 35-9 decision to the New York Jets the following week, but went on a four-game winning streak that gave them a 6-3 record and made them relevant in playoff talk and later two of the team’s cheerleaders paid tribute to the coach by having their heads shaved.
This act of kindness followed an act by most of the team to become hairless including star quarterback Andrew Luck a couple of weeks sooner.
By the way, the cheerleaders are prettier than the football players.
A 59-24 loss to the New England Patriots tempered the situation for the Colts but this weekend they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 20-13 for their fourth win in five games and a trip to the AFC playoffs which was something that was not expected.
The playoff spot was not the only good news for the Colts as Christmas Eve day marked the return of Pagano to the office to prepare to coach next Sunday when they face the Houston Texans on the road.
The outcome will be irrelevant but I would like to see Indy win it for Pagano and go into the postseason “Chuckstrong”.
Good luck coach.