Basketball Follies

Last night I went to watch Sam play basketball for the first time. If you have never seen 6 year olds play basketball, you’re missing out. It was highly entertaining and way more fun that watching baseball (no offense, I like baseball too but this was hilarious). I felt like I was watching the running of the bulls mixed with a game of tag and keep-away. Someone would get the ball. Then they would all run like hell to the other end of the court, about-face, and assume the position (arms up, hands screaming “me! me!”). Pass the ball. Fight over ball (with opposing team or teammate, no discrimination) . Coach screams “shoot! shoot!” and kid launches ball towards the goal. Ball ricochets off backboard into a mosh pit of arms and hands and inevitably knocks someone upside the head. Someone gets the ball. All run like hell to the other end of the court. And so on and so on. This was the general flow of things with a few “extras” included. These extras consisted of: kid on the other team who (bless his heart) took the ball to our goal to shoot it every time he got the ball, another kid on the other team who would climb and hang from the goal all throughout the game, and the kid on our team who was a basketball ninja; darting in and out of the mosh pits, always stealing the ball, making all of his shots, and popping up to get a rebound when I swear one second before he was 10 feet away in another spot. If they made kiddie steroids, I’d suggest having him tested. Anyway, Sam played great and hit a great shot in the middle of the game. I cheered for him of course, and don’t really understand why my family turned and looked at me like I was crazy. All I screamed was “WOOOOOOO YEAH ALRIGHT SAM BAILEYYYYYY”. I’m supportive like that.

As I was sitting there watching his game, I was having flashbacks of when I played in that very same gym. I vividly remember getting the rebound (yay!), leading the pack to the other end of the court (go me!), hearing the whistle blow and interrupting what was sure to be a spectacular lay up… because I was carrying the ball neatly in my arms (doh!). Ok, so I wasn’t so great at basketball. Apparently height can only get you so far. I wasn’t so good at the multitasking back then. You want me to walk and dribble? Psshhh. Who has time for that? Not me! I think I only played one season, which was cut short because I had my appendix out. A blessing in disguise really, because I’m pretty sure I thought I was awesome.