Hoop Dreams

I'm beginning to suspect the person who created the basketball game schedule has an old-fashioned notion that only one parent works out of the home and the other is available for school functions any time of the day.

Of Carter's 8 basketball games, 5 of them will start at 4:15 p.m.

For the average person, this still means getting out of work an hour early. For us commuters 50 minutes away, it means getting out of work waaay early. We had to hit the road by 3 so we were at the bus stop to get Carter at 3:50. He had to change into his basketball clothes in the car on the way to the game.

Today's game was not at the YMCA like last time. Most of his games will be played at a church near the Y that, unfortunately, is set up for a sort of half-court size of court because another game is being played on the other "court." Anyway, the kids probably liked it because it was a shorter court and they wouldn't tire out as easily.

And they had reason to tire out. I swear these 6th-grade boys give a new meaning to the phrase "fast break." Everything was quick-paced action. No time to set any plays up -- or those "picks" they just learned last week. Just bing-bang-boom back and forth.

I guess it worked. (Either that or Carter's new red-and-white wristbands were lucky.) The Rapids team pulled out a win this time -- 18-16!!

Carter did not score a basket yet, but had a few more chances than last week and, to his credit, tried. I will not be an official statistician but he did have 2 fouls and a few steals again. And, most importantly, he had fun.

Of course, the hoop dreams came to an end when we got home and it was time for homework and work-work. See, if we had a later game, that stuff could get done beforehand, and we could ride this high to bedtime...