Friday, April 02, 2010

Basketball in the spring...

One of the signs of spring is heading the thump, thump, thump of Josh's basketball out front.  The first thing to be done in terms of outside "maintenance" in the spring at our house is DH hauling the basketball hoop out to the street.  I remember that on the back patio of the old house, lowered as far as it would go, and little Josh spending hours shooting hoops. 
Now, it is set at regulation height.  Josh is no longer little--he recently measured in at 5'4"...only one inch shorter than me.  And his practice is no longer random shooting for fun.  It is scheduled, regimented, intentional practice to help improve his game. 

He finished out the last season in middle school basketball, his team loosing in the first game of the regionals. The broken wrist really impacted the season, long after the cast was off.  He was timid on the court, shying away from physical contact and driving to the hoop.  Then, seeing his teammate receive a life-altering injury on the court made him even more timid. 

So, after the season was over, he enrolled in a local training facility for an Athleticism class, with the goal of increasing confidence, endurance, and strength.  His birthday brought a weight system to allow him to continue practicing what he had learned once class was over.  Now, in the midst of March Madness, he has joined an AAU basketball team that will go into the summer.  AAU is the Amateur Athletic Union, http://www.aauboysbasketball.org/ .  Their first game was last night.  They won 62-34, which was very impressive.  Even more impressive, however, was how well the team played--quick, accurate passes, communicating, and overall good athleticism. 

And....Josh looked good out there.  He was in the game, in the mix, passing, dribbling and shooting.  He didn't look scared or timid any more.  He looked....ready.  Game on.

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