Competition

We are in the midst of basketball season at our house. Cade is playing Upward at Friendswood United Methodist and Cooper is playing for Clear Lake Boys Basketball. Every year since we started playing all these sports I have suggested we skip basketball season to give us a small break between whatever fall sport we have played and baseball, which starts in February. February is awful because basketball and baseball's 4 practices a week overlap. We are never home. But no one has ever taken my suggestion seriously. What? Not play a sport when there is one offered? My sweet hubby tries to convince me that basketball is really the most important as far as building hand eye coordination. Whatever. He played it in high school, so I think it just has a special place in his heart.

I have decided today that I really just don't like basketball. Its no longer just about the crazy month of February. I really don't like it. Cade's league doesn't keep score, and 6 year olds are really still learning the game. So his games are kind of boring. Just a group of kids running up and down the court, randomly throwing the ball in the general direction of the goal. But this year, Cooper's league is keeping score, and we are serious! But I don't like it either! The intensity over a bunch of 9 year olds with an orange ball is crazy. The yelling, and then it echoes in the gym to turn into a big wad of just noise. And its amazing how much their skills have improved in the last year. But they are still a bunch of kids running up and down the court, only now they make goals more often. But they also plow each other down, and it appears they foul each other on purpose. I am assured they are not. Its a broken arm waiting to happen in my opinion.

I am just not competitive. I can't stand the pressure! I hate it for my kids. I know they are learning so much and it helps to grow them into stronger, braver young men who can work as a team. I just can't get into it. Don't get me wrong. I love baseball season. Its slower. And I really enjoyed football more than I thought I would. There are pads. It doesn't help that I am not athletic. In middle school, I tried out for track because all the cool kids were doing it. I realized before the tryouts were over that not only was I not a fast runner, I didn't want to be. So I was the track team manager for 3 years. Give me a clipboard and timer and I'm good. In 6th grade, on one report card, I had all A's and a B in PE because I couldn't hit the ball in softball. In high school, I was in pep squad strictly so I could not be in the regular gym class. In college I played one season of intramural softball. I'll have to blog about that another time. Let's just say, I was proud I made it through one season. I'm just not competitive and don't want to be. But I have 3 boys and look who I'm married to! I'm going to have to toughen up somehow. I don't want to be one of "those mom's", but I've got to get more into this. I am looking for a baseball mom shirt and considering some baseball flip flops. Small steps.