Basketball

I signed Jacob and Zachary up for basketball because it was only $15, including jerseys. The program is run by Pastor Bob at a Baptist church here. I said that I could help with practices, and I ended up even running one on my own when the head coach had work commitments. Have you ever tried to teach ten 6-year-olds a basketball drill? It was a workout for spirit and body! 

     My boys came into the season having never dribbled a basketball down the court--they were very obviously the least experienced on each of their teams. At the second practice, one of them was pretty humiliated at it and got teary when he kept missing shots. I agonized over whether I should pull them out. I wondered if it was really helping them to keep being the last ones to finish drills/make shots/etc.? Or maybe they needed to learn to stick with it?

    I decided to keep them in, mostly because they had enthusiastic coaches who were willing to work with them. We practiced at our church building and I even enlisted a young man in our ward to help out. Throughout the season, I saw them learn to not only dribble down the court, but to actually play the game. Zachary scored one shot for his team (this was heavily orchestrated by his coach), and the crowds from both teams erupted in applause. He was also their teams' secret weapon on defense. He wasn't as into the game as the other players as far as intensity goes, but he figured out how to make a steal: he ended up getting 7 steals during the final two games.  

Jacob also improved dramatically. Although he never made a shot in a game, now he can shoot pretty reliably during practice. He's also a great defender and had several steals himself, with a couple leading to assists. The boys now say that they want to play ball again next year. I'm proud of them for their happy attitudes and their grit. Good season, guys!