Mom, I Was Picked for the Team!

“Mom, I was picked for the team!” My daughter, Hurricane Alexis, jumped in the truck with the biggest smile on her face. She had the look of I did it all by myself of years gone by. Alexis is my youngest and has a drama streak. Putting her in basketball was a decision to help with leadership and character development. Her skills in the game were not my first priority, but if she was going to be on the team, she had to learn the game. She comes from a household of great athletes and I was not letting my expectations down with her.

This summer she stepped up her training after a few stern conversations from me and attended several basketball camps. The school hired a new coach to take over the team after Coach Ronnie decided she needed to spend more time with her family. In a tutorial, parents are involved in many aspects of educating their kids including coaching the team. Last year, the Lady Royals went to the state championships and won. But it was hard fought and there were a few problems with unity on the team. Coach Ronnie said girls can be that way.

The new coach is not a parent of the school and he has no ties to the area. He is quiet and does not talk much to the parents. He is an introvert and is analytical. He spent all summer teaching plays and drills. The team had strength and power, but they needed to think strategically. He told each young lady that they would have to earn their spot on the team. This was different. In the last two years, the girls would go out for the team and everyone made it. It was not viewed as competition to see who had the best skills or potential. Their qualifications for being on the team were they had to be a girl, attend practice and be in good standing with the school.

But after winning the championships, the Lady Royals were seen in a new light and the stakes were raised. The girls became more competitive with each other and there was a spirit of being the best in the air. The new coach was the right choice. They wanted to be the best and they wanted only the best on their team. This was a different team. This was the Lady Royals.

Something else happened. Alexis started to take the game more seriously. She went to the basketball court on her own, twice a day, and would practice dribbling the ball more and more. In August, she practiced daily. A week ago, one of my neighbors knocked at the door and said he wanted to help her with her drills. I eyed him like a pervert from jail but she explained that she asked him to help her. She initiated the call and asked Mr. Mike, a retired airline pilot and exercise enthusiast, to help her win her spot on the team. I was surprise. She was taking her game to the next level.