Middle School Basketball

I remember playing basketball growing up. We had a backboard nailed to a tree where we lived. I think my dad put it up at 11 feet when it was supposed to be 10 ft. Either way, I was happy to have one. We eventually got another hoop opposite of the one on the tree. It was an adjustable one, which meant that I could lower the basket and dunk on it. I didn't listen to my dad (one of the many times I didn't) when he said to let the concrete dry before playing. I had given it some time to dry, but not enough. I had to dunk the ball, which meant the goal was leaning forward a little when the concrete finally set. But I didn't care it was still awesome. I got a NCAA mini-basketball from Pizza Hut and I was the next Michael Jordan. Even better, having both hoops meant that I had a full court. All that on an uneven gravel road. I remember playing there till there was no light left. Then my dad installed a light where I could play longer. I don't know how many hours I played there, but it was a lot. Aw, the good ole days. That brings me to what I really want to talk about: Middle School Basketball.

Justin is playing for Jefferson Middle School this year. They had their first game on Wednesday night and they won. It was not a pretty win, but it was a win.

Before his game started, I had the privilege of watching the girls middle school team finish up their game before the boys took the floor. I say privilege because it was a unique experience. I have heard that watching middle school girls basketball was torture, so I was ready for the experience. It actually wasn't that bad. Sure there were a lot of air balls and the dribbling wasn't the best, but those girls were passionate. There was a lot of going after the ball, driving to the hoop and wrestling on the floor over loose balls. I later noticed a Jefferson girl entering the gym with an eye patch and her teammates running over to greet her. Apparently, she had been injured in the game, went to get medical attention and then returned. Hard Core stuff!

The boys game was good. The Jefferson boys played hard. Some of their play was sloppy, but then again, it was 13-14 year old boys, so what do you expect. Justin did well in the time that he was in the game.

Katelyn did well too. There were no drink and no snacks and she made it through the event without having to be taken elsewhere for a 'talkin to'. She did have to make a trip to the restroom, but we all did, so that's ok. What occupied most of her time was taking pictures with Stephanie's cell phone. I'm not sure how many it can hold, but I think we may have found out on Wednesday. Next time we'll be prepared with snacks and a coloring book.

The interesting part was the emotions going on in the building. You had the coach of the other team screaming at the ref, so much so that we could him crystal clear sometimes. That almost resulted in him being ejected, he was warned sternly by the female official. You had the players who were up and down depending on how they were doing. You also had the angry parents who let everyone know what was on their mind. We heard "how could you call that, you weren't even looking that way", "why didn't you call the hug on the other player", and other taunts from behind and beside us. I wonder how many calls the same parents overlooked that their boys did. It's easy to see a fault in someone else, but difficult to see your own. Overall, I think the ref's did a pretty good job. Of course, we won the game, if we lost I might not say the same thing. ;)

I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.