The Final Two and Why I Love Basketball

What a history my family and I have with the game of basketball.  We love basketball.  We all grew up playing basketball.  I love to watch college basketball.  I actually think I was a little grumpy last Monday because my bracket pick (Kansas) lost and I was oh so close.  I actually ended up coming in last place.  I had to find a new team to root for Saturday night, went with VCU, but then they lost.  I like Butler now.  UConn looks pretty good; can you say professional?  It still gives me a reason to party tonight.  I mean jeez, it's the final college game of the year.

My mom (Liz) coached CYO basketball for 10 years.  All of us girls played for her.  What a great memory that must be for her.  I was always 6th man.  My sisters were probably all better natural players.  If I had my competitive spirit then that I have now, I have no doubt, I would be a better player.  Somehow, I actually played in college for 2 years.  That is funny.

I tried to get out of playing girls basketball my senior year of high school and try out for cheer leading.   Cheer leading was so much cooler ( they definitely got the cuter boys).  My mom was horrified.  She hated the fact that they only cheered for boys sports and not girls (thankfully they don't do that anymore).  She actually held my high school accountable for Title IX (equal numbers of girls and boys sports), so they added girls Lacrosse.  She was a women's libber (she played college field hockey; how cool is that?).  I swore she secretly brokered a deal so they wouldn't take me on the cheer leading squad.  Reality says, I had no gymnastic/dance experience and probably wasn't that good.  In the end, I'm glad I didn't get to do something for that shallow of a reason. 

Liz had a knack for finding scholarship money (something every mom with 5 kids should have).  My brother got $ (thanks to Liz) to play basketball at a college in DC.  My parents went to most every game.  They loved it.  My senior year of college (1985) was the year of Georgetown vs Villanova.  How smart did I think I was heading down to DC for Spring Break to hang at my brothers college and be in the city of the champions?  Foiled yes, but we still had a blast!

My boys have played basketball since they were 5.  I made Francine play until 6th grade and then I lost the passion to make her suffer.  I actually coached a YMCA 5 year old basketball team before I had kids and before I knew how competitive everyone was going to be about their 5 year old boy learning basketball from a girl (god forbid).  Basketball is one of the toughest sports to learn at a young age, it takes so much skill.  My boys are still obsessed.  My neighbors can vouch for the fact that they shoot hoops at least an hour a day.  For what?  I hate to squash a child's dream, but I firmly believe they have no chance to play high school basketball, let alone college.   The competition is fierce.  We've done the AAU thing (talent wise they are at the bottom of their age; but sure they'll take your $ if you want to pay to play).  I've seen the high school play.  They're awesome!  There is still a tiny part of me that secretly prays they will get magic basketball powers while they're sleeping tonight.

So I guess what I've come around to knowing and believing in from basketball is that anything that gives you a common goal as a family is good.  Any shared passion is a good passion.  Parents being involved in their children's lives and taking stands on things is good, yes, even though they're teenagers.  I'm going to continue taking an active role in my kids lives even though as teenagers they definitely don't want me to - join me!

To be continued on the topic of piecings and body art....