Heathen Greetings: The Girls and Basketball

The girl's basketball season was great this year. Both Mackenzie and Alexis have improved so much. Kenzie and Alexis were the only girls on the team and the oldest on the team too. This league goes from Kindergarten to Second Grade and Kenzie was the only Second grader, Lexie was one of only two first graders and then we had three Kindergartners. If was hard to have such a young and small team but it was great because it made my girls step up their games. I was so proud of Mackenzie. She had to get tougher and start rebounding, which in years past, was very hard for her. She would duck and turn whenever the ball came her way and now she goes after the ball. Alexis's shooting really improved. She started making shots left and right.

One of the things that Jared and I stress is proper shooting and proper guarding. We think swiping and stealing at this age is inappropriate. Allow the kids to learn how to play basketball without having some kid swipe the ball out of your hands. We get very frustrated with other coaches who seem to teach that kind of defence. Just so you know, that is not proper defence. You will be called for swiping by any good ref. So don't start it young! Our girls start doing it when it gets done to them but we always tell them to put their hands straight up and do not swipe or foul. I hate that you have these little kindergartners just learning how to dribble and in comes this huge Second grader and bullies the little kids. Unacceptable! Anyways, as you have read, I feel very strongly about this and now you know that my girls will not be taught such horrible stuff.

One thing that is funny to me though is the drive that Lexie has and her passion. There was one game where a little girl was guarding her pretty tight. Lexie couldn't get anywhere. I mean this little girl had her hands constantly on Lex. Well, I noticed this and started to point it out to Jared when the ref called quarter. Just as Jared looked, Lexie turns and pushes the little girl because she was so frustrated. Though it was funny, we told Lexie that she can't take her anger out on the other little girl and then we had her sit out in order to cool her down. I see that being a constant thing throughout her basketball career.

On the flip side, I love that Mackenzie keeps her cool. She lets everything roll off her shoulder. She is always composed. She is really catching on to the dribbling and her shot is so good. We are working on her lay ups now and shooting from further back. I am so proud of my girls and their accomplishments!

Next year Kenzie will be in the older league of Third and Fourth graders. It also splits into boys and girls teams. Jared and I have decided that we will bring up Lexie too. I think Lexie can handle it and it will help keep a constant for Kenzie. In this upper league they start calling fouls and traveling. It is much more fast paced because you don't have little Kindergartners dribbling slowly up the court with their heads straight down so it might be a shock to the girls. Jared and I are going to work with the girls during the summer so they aren't as shocked by this "new" type of game. We are excited for them! And, Eli will be in the beginners league. He has gone to practices for three year since Kenzie started so he is ahead of the game. He made his first basket all on his own the very last practice of this season. I love that he wants to play so much!

To start the game off, they line up the teams and match them up against their defender.