Friday, February 25, 2022

Mandatory Basketball Rant 2021-22 Week 12

Two more weekends to go before we can really wrap up the winter basketball season.  I believe the West Hazleton league plays further into March, but that is a fun league for both girls, so no one's worried about playoffs, trophies, and the like.   Once the Back Mountain tournament at Lake Lehman Hight School is completed on 3/6, there's a friendly month-long lull, building up to the start of AAU.  At least AAU will have only six episodes, covering each of the six tournaments running April through July.

Millie's Travel Team: Gearing up for the two tournaments to end their season, hopefully on a high note.  Two of the players won't be there this weekend, as they're playing in the US Field Hockey Nationals, but we did recruit two new girls from the local Catholic league team (still meets the overall same-school district rule for teams).   Too bad the fathers have pledged their daughter's lives to the local catholic high school, as they would make fine additions to the existing crew.

The Local Rec League:  Some of the quieter members of the board are beginning to realize the sheer lunacy of trying to host pizza parties during the final week of the playoffs, thus ruining any decent practice time for the teams remaining. 

Two parts to this one:  First, the President of the league decided to host pizza parties for the K-2 leagues, something we had already poo-poo'ed early in the seasons.  

Second, the board (save me), voted to complete the double elimination playoffs in one day, instead of the normal two weeks.  People are now furious that some teams may have to play FIVE games in six  hours to make get the possibly of winning the championship.  Not bloody likely, but insane nevertheless.  

Combine those two factors with the fact that it's Presidents Day, and the buildings were already closed Monday and Tuesday (and school will be closed due to the ice storm today), that left 32 half court practice slots available from 5-9:30 each day, and the pizza parties effectively block at least half of them   I posted the updated brackets, double checked the game schedule on the website, and I officially wash my hands of this place, save trying to schedule a 6th Grade Girls work-out and meet-and-greet with the 7th/8th grade head coach.  

Millie's team won their consolation game, 26-10, with Millie having a hand in about 20 of the points.  It was their best effort yet, but considering a best effort meant one player caught a legitimate pass for the first time, then promptly turned it over, it wasn't too impressive.

Maja:   Save West Hazleton, Maja is done for the season, and has already focused on her dancing and joining the Junior High track team.  A little faster footwork for both will help her AAU play.

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