14-yr-old picked girl no one chose for basketball — she whispered 3 words in his ears that changed how he treats others
Hearing that line made him realize how powerful even small actions can be for someone else.
Sometimes the smallest choices we make around other people can have a far greater impact on them than we realize. A man named Oliver Foit (@oliver.foit) recently shared a story on Instagram about an experience from when he was 14 years old that changed how he treats people for the rest of his life. The video has gained 4.5 million and 438k likes so far.
Foit explained that an incident happened during a gym class basketball activity where students were choosing teams. His teacher had asked him to be one of the captains responsible for picking players. As he stood at the front of the class deciding who to call first, he noticed a girl sitting toward the back. According to him, she was not particularly interested in sports and often struggled during athletic activities, which usually made her the last pick.
However, Foit decided to do the opposite and called her name first. The girl looked up, clearly surprised, and asked, "Me?" A friend standing next to him questioned the choice, asking why he had picked her. Foit simply responded, "Why not?" The girl walked over but initially stood slightly behind him, almost as if she was unsure whether she truly belonged there. Foit noticed and told her to stand beside him instead, making it clear she was part of his team. As she moved next to him, she leaned closer and asked something that immediately stuck with him, "Are you sure?"
Foit said that hearing those words made him realize how unusual the moment must have felt for her. He looked over at her and answered without hesitation, "Absolutely." After that experience, he continued choosing students who were often overlooked during team selections. Instead of focusing on picking friends or the strongest players, he deliberately chose kids who were usually left until the very end. Looking back, he said, "I remember it wasn't about trying to prove something or having your friends and competing. It was seriously about just having fun and including people."
The act of being inclusive becomes all the more important in school, considering many students don’t always feel fully part of their school community. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 data, about 19% of students reported feeling lonely at school, and roughly 20% said they felt like an outsider or left out of things at school. Another study by Qualtrics surveying more than 1,000 US high school students found that only about 51 % of students reported that they feel a sense of belonging at their school.
Foit said he barely shot the ball at all during the game and spent most of the time passing it so everyone could be involved. After graduating from high school, the same girl approached him, grabbed his arm, and said, "Oliver, I still remember when you picked me first in basketball in ninth grade. That was the only time I was picked first for anything in school." Hearing that made him realize how powerful even small actions can be for someone else. Sharing the story now, Foit said he hopes it encourages people to be more aware of those around them and to choose kindness whenever they can
"It takes so little to be kind to someone, but it makes such a big impact on them. Include people. That's what the world's about. It's about including people and being kind to them," he said. The story resonated strongly with viewers, many of whom shared their own experiences in the comments section. @mrsmunchsmunchkins wrote, "Oliver, please tell me what your parents did to instill this kindness in you. I must raise children to be as thoughtful!" @thompsondawnette shared, "I was a skinny, sickly version of that girl. I remember kids arguing over who had to take me for PE. More than once, I was part of a 2-for-1 deal after all the other kids were picked. I'm 60, and I haven't forgotten. Bless you, Oliver."
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