Today was one of those days I was at school all day and all night. Jessi had to be in early for shoot around and Monika had a meeting. After school I did run out to walk Balt and make a sandwich for myself for dinner. I worked the girls game so that at least I could get paid to watch.
The girls played the number 1 ranked Division 2 team in the state, Monona Grove. It was a tough game with lots of mistakes but still a respectable loss. The MG team was an amazing team and since I am NOT a basketball person, I listen to what coaches around me are saying. I heard our girls fought a good fight, but I'm pretty sure that's not what the girls heard. I really can't say much about the game, because what do I konw? I know that negative put downs don't help. I know that calling girls out on their failures won't make them successful. I know that telling athletes (or anyone) what they are doing wrong won't fix it unless you tell them how to. I know that to win takes a lot of work and might even be painful (but the status quo of losing is more painful). I know that to make something positive, you have to think something positive. I know that as an educator, a parent and an athletic supporter, it's not about me, it's always about the kids. When we get in the car after the game, I can't ever tell Jessi specific strategic stuff about what she did right or wrong. Still, I know how to win a basketball game-- you catch the ball and make a basket. It seems simple to me although I know it's not. It's a coach's game full of plays of complicated tasks. Monika quit the game after one year of playing for that very reason. She told me that she didn't like how little control the players had on what to do with the ball. I found that very insightful. I think the reason Jessi's team loses so many games is because they don't catch the ball and they don't make baskets, at least not as many as the other team- duh. After the games, I always ask about what the coach had to say at the end of the game and it's usually not positive. Instead, there's always people crying or upset. I guess in the end she's learning life lessons.
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