End of Basketball Season

I can finally say that basketball season is over!

After a long three months, I had my last van ride down to the other bigger base by my own this past weekend!

Watched my girls play together as a team for the very last time...even ended up taking home a mini trophy as we placed 4th of 8 teams in our final tournament.

Our overall season record wasn't the greatest, but I did see improvements from each and every player on the team. We were 1 win and 8 losses..and at least two of the games that we lost was pretty close...came down to the last quarter of when we lost :(

Overall, I have enjoyed coaching...though I do not think I will be coaching next year for the Youth Program on base. I don't think the program is organized enough...perhaps if things were run differently (especially the communication of emails and returning phone calls from the director of the program...but that is a rant that I so shouldn't go into...at least publicly written on the internet!).

I am including a few pictures from our End of the Season Family Potluck

I might possibly try my hand at being a basketball referee for the Program..as the refs weren't really that good (at least at our base...they let alot slide). But really from coaching it has really interested me in playing the sport myself...I had found out when I first started coaching that our military base had a women's team. However due to the scheduling of my girls team practices and games would've conflicted and made it impossible. So I guess time will only tell in regards to what I do decide to do.

One of my girls parents even suggested I look into coaching at the high school next year...now we will have to see on that as well. Because high school

Now, there were a few things that kinda unnerved me with the end of the season in particular that I wanted to share because I felt it needs to be said...as this is my blog and I can do it!

First, I had an issue with my Assistant Coach kinda bailing on me and the girls the last week of the team playing. Not only did she not show up for either practices that week, nor showed up for the final game! Which I understand to an extent but there were some smaller things that could be taken care of by a husband or...bowing out of a bowling league game (just once).

The second is the fact that I originally started off with 10 girls on the team in December. By the first week of February I was down to 9 girls, because one girls parents decided they should pull her due to behavior problems. Thus she was done...and then the last week of the season, two of my more seasoned girls didn't show up to practices...showed up for a game (which they both played really rusty) and then didn't go to the last game of the official season.

Honestly, that is just rude and doesn't really make sense to me at all. Again, I can't do or say anything about it because it's not my place. But as a coach I'm disappointed in the fact they left their teammates hanging...and as someone who volunteers my time, effort and energy every week and weekend for three months...the least I can expect is for a girl to do the same as well.

**However both of these players parents had an EXCUSE of why their daughter can not play...which makes me think that they are okay with allowing their child to punk out. Again, something I just dont get...parents complain about their children not being focused or quitting on something before it's done. But if they are allowing their kids to not finish something...then what type of lesson are they really trying to teach? **

Thus, we played our tournament with 7 players...which for only having 7 players I feel we did very good. Two players sat on the bench at one time...which was a post player and a guard.

Our last game of the tournament, I decided to dress up a bit..since one of the girls asked me why I never wore suits to the games (as some male coaches did the game prior to the last one we played in the tournament). So, I busted out one of my many black pant suits (that I use to rock when I worked at Victoria Secret).

I'm happy to have spent three months of my time working with these girls to help their grow in their skills and possible love of the sport. I only hope the best for them, I know alot of them will be continuing on with a different sport through the Youth Program (I know alot of them used the basketball season to get in shape for softball. And with all the running I made them do..I'm pretty sure they will do just fine)!

I won't lie it will be nice to have the weekends back to myself...though..tonight is Monday night..and it's kinda weird to be home with so much time on my hands...normally the girls had practice!

XOXO