Mandatory Basketball Rant 2021-2022 - Week 2

 As I check Facebook the past two weeks, I'm been hit with a barrage of memories involving the kids and their first basketball games of the seasons from years gone by.  I'm reminded that, compared to most years, we're only two weeks behind the regular schedule.    The only major difference is we're almost two years removed from the last time most of these kids played organized ball.  

As a volunteer/board member, the practice schedule nightmare has resolved itself, and the game schedule nightmare took it's place.   I had planned a similar schedule as years past: the little kids kick off the day at both schools, the 3/4 Boys then take over the one site, while the other divisions play at the other.   

For some reason regarding early-bird PIAA officials wanting to ref games, the board shot down the tried-and-true schedule and suggested an alternative.  That alternative, which has all Biddy (little kid) teams playing at one site meant disastrous resistance the moment it was posted.  The main complaint.  We have 20 coaches volunteering for the 30 teams we have playing on Saturdays.  While the original schedule would create the same schedule conflicts, the new schedule allowed only an hour or two of wiggle room, and with mandatory doubleheaders, due to an odd number of teams, that room for adjustment was nearly zero.  The original schedule had about a dozen potential conflicts over the entire season.  The revised scheduled had 46 at last count.  

Of course the scheduler himself had the worst conflicts, with Maja's 7th grade game, Millies 5th grade game, and the 3/4 Boys team I coach, all playing at the same time. 

Maja:

For Maja, things are pretty simple.  She practices with the Freshmen team, is still scheduled to travel to Timbuktu and Kingdom Come for her first away games, but she's also playing with her fellow 7th Graders at a local vo-tech against other local schools.  Mix in a fun and quick dance recital games and she's pretty good.  Her first 7th grade is this afternoon and I can't wait.  

This one's a couple years old, but all three girls will be donning school colors for the first time this afternoon.  

Millie's schedule is far more frenetic.  

(a) Her status in the West Hazleton 7th grade co-ed league is in limbo.  No word from the league on games yet. 

(b) The entire 5/6 rec league is a mess.   Most girls have definitely suffered from the lack of basketball last year and it shows, particularly on her new batch of teammates.  The worse news for the age group is that every team is like that, and the games will be messy.  My wife wants to pull her from everything rec next year, but some of these girls aren't good enough for grade school travel right now... but will be good enough for Jr High school ball.  They have to learn to play together. 

(c) The secret travel team has had more success, including a 15-2 drubbing of the much hated Dallas team.  Millie's even more disturbed by this team's play because it is the "good girls" she plays with and their simply not executing.  I'm forced to remind her harshly that there's a huge difference in playing on a nationally recognized AAU program, versus going back home to play with her classmates, even her very good classmates.   They also got two scrimmages of local 6th grade boys teams in, the first a thorough trouncing of the boys 28-18, and then the boys exacting their revenge 21-20.  

(Edit: I did run around and check the  sites for the early morning games for this season's rec kick-off.  That boys team beat a very good 6th grade boys teams 26-13.  Despite Millie's protests, the girls are a good team.)

(d) I just discovered that my wife signed up Millie for the AAU program's non-AAU winter league as well.  Nothing like putting Millie on two underpowered teams where she won't be able to play full games thanks to the still-conflicting schedule.  Today's games run as such:

• 1:10  Maja's 7th Grade Game
• 2:20  Millie's AAU league (first half only)
• 3:00  Millie's Rec League game 
• 4:00  My 3/4 Boys game at the other elementary school

... and Maja has a 9am game back at the Vo-tech Sunday morning, while Millie's travel team faces her biggest challenge skill and size-wise that night.  

The Adopted 3/4 Boys Team

We managed a scrimmage last weekend and looked pretty good out there.  The big guy not only showed talent rebounding and dribbling, but we discovered he's the little brother of Maja's dance partner.  Small world. 

A second scrimmage against the team we practice with showed some pretty serious issues I need to work on... or at least the replacement coach.   One of the parents did step up to be apprenticed into coaching ... but she and her kid won't be around this weekend.  Ah, c'est la vie!