Yes!yes!yes!yes!yessssssssssss!!!

RIGHT NOW I AM SOOO OVERFLOWING WITH EXUBERANCE AND PRIDE! ONE OF LIFE'S GREAT MOMENTS HAS JUST OCCURRED! LET ME TURN OFF THE CAPS LOCK AND TELL YOU ABOUT IT!

I'll quit yelling now.

Y'all may recall a few weeks ago I had a thread going about how the 4th and 5th grade basketball team I coach had got screwed in a game against THE elite team in the league.We got screwed on the score, (gave our basket to the other team) got screwed by the official, so on and so forth. This team has 7 5th graders on it, all of them kids of the local social elite, active in the PTO, country club members, etc. etc. I got 3 5th graders and only 2 that have played the game before.

Since then we've had 2 losses, both by 2 points, and a tie.
The girls have'nt gave up. They've played hard all the way. Last Thursday night at practice I changed tactics. I leaned on them a little harder. I started hearing a lot of "I can'ts". So, they got to see my Irish side.

We were scrimmaging against each other. My littlest backtalker had been fouled so I sent her to the freethrow line. She started in with the "I can't " stuff. I blew the shit outt my whistle and announced that "CAN'T" SIT ON THE BENCH UNTIL "CAN'T"-"COULD!!!!"

You coulda' heard a pin drop in that gym!

They lined up and I told them to stay put until I said the next shot was in play. I stood under the basket and passed the ball out to her at the line. Her 1st shot missed the iron by 3 feet. Her 2nd by 1 foot. The third one went in. I did'nt hesitate and fired the ball right back to her and told them the next one was in play. SHE MADE IT TOO!

I grabbed the ball and and looked at them all. You could see the light bulbs going on over these girls heads. The rest of practice went great.

Today we played the the above mentioned team.

After the good practice we had Thursday, I was hoping they would carry it into the game to day. I was wanting this one BAD! I felt I had a monkey on my back still being winless. And it was this team that had kind of been responsible for our season going down the tubes. I never told the girls how bad I wanted to win this one, I just kept it at "you guy's are good e'nuff to beat these guys."

Could'nt hardly sleep last night! I know, I'm a complete basket case to be so jacked up over a kids b-ball game! But it's kinda got personal somehow. And I've definitely connected with these kids, they deserved a taste of victory.

Practice carried over to the game!
Went up 4-0 early and held that lead 'til midway thru the 4th period. Then they got a basket. 4-2! With 13 ticks left on the clock THEY FRIGGIN TIED IT UP! The only time my defense got beat all day! You guessed it. Overtime!

This is our third overtime game. We've lost 1 and tied 1. I was lookin at some red faces and heard a lot of panting. I tried not to use any lines outta the movie "Hoosiers" but told them they needed 1 basket and some killer defense and in 2:00 minutes they would have their first win.

Overtime was scoreless until with 30 secs. left. My same little backtalker was on the line! I hollared down the floor to her to RELAX AND DO IT JUST LIKE PRACTICE!

The gym fell silent.

She dribbled twice.

Put it up.


CLANK!

Off the back iron.

She turned around and looked at me.

I mouthed the words "you can do this!" to her.

She dribbled twice again.

Put it up.

NOTHING BUT FRIGGIN NET!

We were up 5-4 and stole the inbounds pass and killed the clock!

WE WON!!!WE FINALLY GOT ONE!!!!!!!!

Seeing those girls run off the floor with their hands in the air and screaming is a memory that will go to my grave with me!


The sweetest part was watching the other teams parents take it hard! They WERE undefeated. UNTIL TODAY HAHAHAHAHAHAH!

I'll stop rubbing it in now.


But it was SOOOOO SWEEEEEEET.

Y'all have a good weekend! I gotta a big party tonight so I gotta go get a nap. If I can slow down some. Typing this has helped.

I know, it's a weed board. Would it help any if I said I took a couple of hits before the games to calm down? Did'nt work, but I took a couple of hits anyway.

Thanks for indulging a noisy dude who just got a monkey off his back!