Our granddaughter, Lydia, informed her mother that she would play basketball in the recreation league again this year but only if her Mom served as her coach. So, of course, Bridgette agreed.
We have been hearing tales of her experiences and how the young girls - second and third graders - are learning and growing as athletes. Now, for those of you who don't know our daughter, Bridgette, you may not realize that she takes things seriously. She is competitive and she doesn't mess around. When she does something she intends to do it right. By taking on a responsibility, she is All-In.
So, the tales we have been having in regard to her coaching these children who are between the ages of six and nine, we have chuckled a few times. You see, Bridgette also played recreation league basketball when she was about the age of her daughters. I want to think she started at about sixth grade. There were not enough coaches for the number of girls who signed up to play in the community league. So, the mother-in-charge of coordinating the league asked a co-worker, an accountant who was a newlywed with no children of his own to coach a team. There was only one girl who had played on a recreation team before. The rest of the girls were newbies like Bridgette. So, the team was probably a group of misfits and unknowns - a basketball team of Bad News Bears. Coach Dan did a great job of teaching the girls plays, working on developing skills, and, really, just teaching them a bit about the game of basketball. They didn't win a single game during the season. Yet, they played and had a big time and they learned and grew as athletes and young women. When the county tournament came along, this team of misfits and unknowns won game after game and wound up in the finals. Sadly, they lost their last game, primarily because two of the girls fouled out - Bridgette was one of them. Along the way, Coach Dan was amazingly patient with them and he and his wife became lifelong family friends. We still chuckle at times over things that happened in practice and those games.
Advance the clock about twenty-five years and Bridgette has found herself in the shoes of her former coach. Her team was assembled by a blind draft. Most of the girls have never played on a team before and those who have are not little girls who have played with older brothers or sisters all their lives and know the game - far from it! So, Bridgette has found herself saying many of the things we chuckled about over the years - things like, "Dribble. The. Ball!"
From the first practice, these little girls have learned drills to develop their dribbling, passing, and shooting skills. Bridgette claims she even told another coach, "We aren't here to just play around. We are going to learn the game of basketball!" (He spent his first practice allowing the girls to do some loose shooting and play around a bit in order to get to know one another.)
If the little girls have had half as much fun as Bridgette, the venture has been a success! Bridgette seems so pleased with their progress and when we went to their first game Saturday morning, it was obvious that they had learned some plays and had practiced rebounding. Oh, there is still lots to be learned by these little athletes as was evidenced by their losing score but on another day, the numbers could easily have been reversed, I think.
Throughout the game, Coach Bridgette is clapping, cheering, encouraging, reminding, and, well, coaching. Even when one little girl fouled out before the end of the game, she was complimenting her for going after the ball and for being aggressive.
During a break between quarters, she asked the girls, "Who wants to score some points?" Hands went up all down the row of hydrating little girls. So, Coach Bridgette said, "Well, let's get out there and get some rebounds, go down the floor, and shoot!"
Mike and I have teased Bridgette and told her that she is trying to be the next Pat Head Summit! You know, her intensity is almost measurable and her eagerness to motivate and prepare the little girls is quite admirable. Even at the end of the game when she and her family were on the road to another gym for Lillie to play her game, Bridgette confessed to us that she was already thinking of what they would do at the next practice and how she needs to guide them differently and plan for the next game. She thinks she needs to add some options and knows that there are a few things that need to be tweaked.
I think Pat would be proud. I'm pretty certain Coach Dan would be. And, I know that Mike and I certainly are!
