Two more weeks until I can hang my hat as Vice-President of our community league a little bit.
No, I'm not resigning my post. The league needs volunteers more than ever and I've had a fun time kabitzing with the parents and coaches as the playoff are getting finished.
What I'm not having a fun time with? Parents and triple-booked schedules that only affect your kids... and the play.
The one elementary school we use for practices and games is having their annual play, and with it, practice times get truncated or eliminated outright. Add in the inclement weather we had and subsequent school closures, not only did the play schedule a full week later, it included a full week of practices to interfere with even more practices.
In the midst of all of this, we wrapped up the Kindergarten, Biddy-Amateur (1st Grade), and Biddy-Pro (2nd) seasons with the Hot Shots tournaments. It's a couple rounds of foul shooting, followed by medals, pizza, and a cheap t-shirt to thank them for playing. Given all the parents, the multiple coaches, the process is extra and close. Unfortunately our bracket structure was horrendous and at least one team ended the night killing themselves for an unsatisfying 4th when others only won two matches.
On Wednesday, my wife took Millie to the Wilkes-Misericordia University game, while I transported Maja to her practices.
There was a community league promotion allowing free admission to players who wore their jerseys to the game, plus they got to be out on the court for introductions. My wife and Millie showed up for the Women's game played afterwards, all the while the crowds poured out the field house. Funny, because the Men's teams were wickedly bad, while the women's teams are nationally ranked.
Millie dressed up like a cheerleader and ran the Misericordia cheering section. She even got a picture with the team after the game.
And then, the flu came to town.
Millie woke up achey, went to school and almost immediately we got the call to pick her. It's not a full blown body debilitating versio of the flu, but she's been out of commission for the weekend.
To complicate things, Millie's Thursday practice had 3 Bulls and 3 Spurs show up. Thank God it was a bye week for us! I also learned that one of our players, the one that played valiant defense in our first playoff game, was now permanently out for the season with a injury/complication to her growth. I'm not questioning, I just now we're down to 6.
Games:
Friday - Somehow Millie connived my wife to drive to Hazleton to play in her game. She played reduced minutes and nothing extraordinary for once.
Saturday- Maja's Hazleton game was early morning and highly competetive, with the winning shot falling for the other team with 4.8 seconds to go, 27-26.
In her must-win playoff game back home, they hit on all cylinders in a 36-11 rout. It was a day of great passing and working on outside shooting that sometimes fell. She did make her first official three-pointer in a game!
They move on to play the Celtics next week, and if they win, they'll participate in the Loser's Bracket semi-final for the Championship.
Millie's team earned a bye this week for her Spurs, but we did check out the two games. the hated Celtics beat our friends the Bulls with a contest last-second shot to win, 13-12, but the youth and aggressiveness of the Warriors were to much as they fell 12-8.
With the Celtics out of the playoffs, our attention turns wholly to our original bad guys, the Sixers. Pull out a win and we don't have to deal with the up-and-coming Warriors in the loser's bracket.
Sunday:
My Sky Elite: Millie was feeling better Sunday morning, so we let both girls go to the second AAU tryout for this team. The good news was that both girls did well. The bad news was that basically zapped Millie of most of her strength, and none of the Spurs players I recommended coming made the trip.
With Millie zonked out on the couch, it made more sense to skip the Clutch AAU tryout. Of the two, My Sky is cheaper, closer for the tournaments, and and I trust the organizer more.
I haven't even covered the league travel team in recent weeks, because, well, it's been bad. The Final Travel Team game was Sunday, and with it, I'm just done with it. This week was the final consolation game and the whole experience was miserable. It was a like putting a loved one in hospice, the inevitable is there, but instead of nurses, they were replaced with horrible referees. Most of the PIAA state refs we use in the community are local and enjoy the kids games. I believe the refs at Kingston Rec need the money from the games because they shouldn't be refereeing high school games. Wildly out of shape and hence out of position to call anything on the court, I think everyone assumed we would lose the game, and they slowly pulled away after halftime, but the uncalled shenanigans (on both sides) by the refs sullied the game and allowed the score to expand more than it should.
Of course, the biggest problem this upcoming week isn't the make-or-break playoff games, it's that my car is still make-or-break in my mechanic's garage. Work might be finished by next Saturday, putting some huge logistical wrinkles in my schedule.
No, I'm not resigning my post. The league needs volunteers more than ever and I've had a fun time kabitzing with the parents and coaches as the playoff are getting finished.
What I'm not having a fun time with? Parents and triple-booked schedules that only affect your kids... and the play.
The one elementary school we use for practices and games is having their annual play, and with it, practice times get truncated or eliminated outright. Add in the inclement weather we had and subsequent school closures, not only did the play schedule a full week later, it included a full week of practices to interfere with even more practices.
In the midst of all of this, we wrapped up the Kindergarten, Biddy-Amateur (1st Grade), and Biddy-Pro (2nd) seasons with the Hot Shots tournaments. It's a couple rounds of foul shooting, followed by medals, pizza, and a cheap t-shirt to thank them for playing. Given all the parents, the multiple coaches, the process is extra and close. Unfortunately our bracket structure was horrendous and at least one team ended the night killing themselves for an unsatisfying 4th when others only won two matches.
On Wednesday, my wife took Millie to the Wilkes-Misericordia University game, while I transported Maja to her practices.
There was a community league promotion allowing free admission to players who wore their jerseys to the game, plus they got to be out on the court for introductions. My wife and Millie showed up for the Women's game played afterwards, all the while the crowds poured out the field house. Funny, because the Men's teams were wickedly bad, while the women's teams are nationally ranked.
Millie dressed up like a cheerleader and ran the Misericordia cheering section. She even got a picture with the team after the game.
Millie woke up achey, went to school and almost immediately we got the call to pick her. It's not a full blown body debilitating versio of the flu, but she's been out of commission for the weekend.
To complicate things, Millie's Thursday practice had 3 Bulls and 3 Spurs show up. Thank God it was a bye week for us! I also learned that one of our players, the one that played valiant defense in our first playoff game, was now permanently out for the season with a injury/complication to her growth. I'm not questioning, I just now we're down to 6.
Games:
Friday - Somehow Millie connived my wife to drive to Hazleton to play in her game. She played reduced minutes and nothing extraordinary for once.
Saturday- Maja's Hazleton game was early morning and highly competetive, with the winning shot falling for the other team with 4.8 seconds to go, 27-26.
In her must-win playoff game back home, they hit on all cylinders in a 36-11 rout. It was a day of great passing and working on outside shooting that sometimes fell. She did make her first official three-pointer in a game!
They move on to play the Celtics next week, and if they win, they'll participate in the Loser's Bracket semi-final for the Championship.
Millie's team earned a bye this week for her Spurs, but we did check out the two games. the hated Celtics beat our friends the Bulls with a contest last-second shot to win, 13-12, but the youth and aggressiveness of the Warriors were to much as they fell 12-8.
With the Celtics out of the playoffs, our attention turns wholly to our original bad guys, the Sixers. Pull out a win and we don't have to deal with the up-and-coming Warriors in the loser's bracket.
Sunday:
My Sky Elite: Millie was feeling better Sunday morning, so we let both girls go to the second AAU tryout for this team. The good news was that both girls did well. The bad news was that basically zapped Millie of most of her strength, and none of the Spurs players I recommended coming made the trip.
With Millie zonked out on the couch, it made more sense to skip the Clutch AAU tryout. Of the two, My Sky is cheaper, closer for the tournaments, and and I trust the organizer more.
I haven't even covered the league travel team in recent weeks, because, well, it's been bad. The Final Travel Team game was Sunday, and with it, I'm just done with it. This week was the final consolation game and the whole experience was miserable. It was a like putting a loved one in hospice, the inevitable is there, but instead of nurses, they were replaced with horrible referees. Most of the PIAA state refs we use in the community are local and enjoy the kids games. I believe the refs at Kingston Rec need the money from the games because they shouldn't be refereeing high school games. Wildly out of shape and hence out of position to call anything on the court, I think everyone assumed we would lose the game, and they slowly pulled away after halftime, but the uncalled shenanigans (on both sides) by the refs sullied the game and allowed the score to expand more than it should.
Of course, the biggest problem this upcoming week isn't the make-or-break playoff games, it's that my car is still make-or-break in my mechanic's garage. Work might be finished by next Saturday, putting some huge logistical wrinkles in my schedule.
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