Girls Basketball

The highlight of the past two months of my life has been coaching a middle school girls basketball team.  Our school is the Christian Academy Saints.  We are, well, beginners.  We played a public team in Myrtle Beach and the 1st quarter score was 23 to 2.  Ouch.  That is a lonely feeling.  It is at that time that I have to just sit back and say, "ok, how do we coach here?"  It is obvious the skill level was not close.  The girls listened.  At one point I called timeout and said in my over the top passion, "I'm coaching harder than you all are playing", that one even makes me laugh now.  It was true, that is why I said it.  The girls wanted to shut down and hide on the court, the only problem was that there was no where to hide.  Substitutions didn't really help.  By halftime and a little help from the opposing coach, we were able to go to halftime under 35.  We looked at each other and talked about fear...about effort, about executing what we CAN do, not what we can't.  I told them I could not coach height, speed or experience, but we had an opportunity to do better in the 3rd quarter.  We got blown out, but I was so proud of them.  They never tucked tail.  They were humbled, but I love that they were able to taste some things they never tasted before.  It was uncomfortable.  I wouldn't want to coach the other team.  I want this one.  I want to bring them along.  Last night we played another local private school and delivered our first win in 5 tries.  I am CONVINCED if we would have not played these bigger, better, faster, confident girls we would not have known what to do last night.  I am sure we would have lost.  But the fight and struggle they went through this season has prepared them to play even teams and execute somethings.  The lessons I am learning about coaching are huge, the lessons I am learning about life are big too.  I am thankful for each of these girls.

Stuart