Basketball Girls

Both our girls have decided to play basketball through the school, and started practices last week.  This is a big new thing for our family--the kids trying sports.  It is a difficult thing for me, having never been brave enough to try sports as a kid.  I actually have a very negative opinion of sports in general, and have been praying for a couple years already that God would help me if and when the kids ever wanted to try sports.  But, when the girls brought home the sign-up sheets for basketball and showed some interest, we encouraged them to try it now, while they are little, and not wait until they are in junior high and all the other kids have already been playing for years.  So, they signed up and started, even though they've never even been to a real basketball game.

Tonight were their first games. At the same time.  In different gyms.  That was challenging for us, but we split the time with Jeremy watching one girl's game and me watching the other, and we switched at half-time. 

I watched the first half of Sylvia's game.  They did drills for 15 minutes before the game.  Sylvia says she is having fun, but she really hasn't caught on to the concepts of the game at all yet.  Thankfully, many of the other 1st graders on the team haven't either, and the coaches are very patient to stop and explain things over and over.
Sylvia has yet to successfully make a basket, but she likes to keep trying.

She has learned to dribble with one hand and pass.

The girls play 8-minute quarters and switch out after every 4 minutes of play time.  When watching, it appears to me that Sylvia's favorite parts of playing basketball may be getting to wear shorts and a jersey, playing with her friends, and getting to have her hair in braids.  She maintains that she is having fun, and I think she is starting to learn a little bit, even though she looks like she is playing defense when she's supposed to be on offense.

I am proud of her for wanting to play and learn and for continuing to try!

Annah's 3rd and 4th grade team plays 10-minute quarters, and rotates girls in and out with each quarter.  So, watching the second half of her game, I got to see her play in the final quarter.  Most of these girls have played already for 2 or 3 years before this, so I am very proud of Annah wanting to jump in with them!

Annah did a lot of running, always with a smile.

Toward the end of the game, she was open and got the ball passed to her.  She put up a shot and made it!!  The other team got the rebound, and then made a basket.  Then Annah got the ball back and brought it down the court again, passed it to someone else who made a basket to tie the game at the end.  (They didn't play overtime.)

I was really shocked sitting in the bleachers with the other parents.  So many were yelling at their daughters (and other people's daughters!) like they were high schoolers!  I know I am weird, but I was literally close to tears thinking of these girls' tender hearts being squelched by their parents discouraging yelling and unrealistic expectations.  (Seriously, what 3rd or 4th grader should really try to lob the ball from past half court with 2 seconds left?  They can't make that shot; why scream at them to?!)  Some of the girls look at their parents with a terrified expression when they shoot and miss or travel and get the whistle blown at them.

Obviously, I am naive and not used to the environment.  I am very thankful though, that the coaches are very patient and gentle in correcting and instructing the girls, even during game time.  And, my girls seem undaunted by all the yelling.  They are happy to be having fun and learning and getting exercise.  I am so thankful!

Good game, girls!

I'm so proud of my little ballers!