Teams and Friendship
“When all is said and done, it’s not the shots that won the championship that you remember, but the friendships you made along the way.” – unknown
I gave this quote to the high school girls interested in playing basketball this year. Not because I don’t think winning is important, it is the end goal when you are on the court, but it’s the time throughout the season, when players work and grow as a team, that really counts.
In college our team beat the University of Montana to win the conference championship where we advanced and played in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I can never remember what team we played, Oregon or Oregon State, because you know what? It doesn’t matter who we played. What does matter, are all the lessons I learned, and all the friendships I gained along the way. I have teammates that even after 20+ years have gone by, would have my back in any situation.
A former teammate was in my wedding, another, a massage therapist, helped bring me back to life after my body was broken in an accident years ago, and just last week, I road-tripped with an old teammate from that college championship team. We went to an Alumni basketball event and a book signing for my memoir, Back on the Court. And even though we have a history together, we hardly talked of the past, instead our years of bonding as teammates allowed us to enjoy one another on a deeper level, and to share our hopes and dreams for the future.
Being a part of a team is not always easy, but the rewards are priceless.
Hidden Treasures
There was a part of me that wanted to throw away the tall stacks of old homework papers that were piled in the corner of my office. More than a years worth of two kids schoolwork adds up to a lot of paper cuts and huge pile of recycle. I know I should do this process once a week, or once a month, but I have given into the fact that it happens once every year or two for me. But in the end, there are always one or two nuggets of gold that make it worth it. In between the numbers & graphs, definitions and essays, I find some poetry & prose that give me insight into my growing and ever-changing kids, and occasionally a little insight on life.
Don’t forget to sift & search for life’s hidden treasures.
…I knew about this poem, but I came across it and others, by my daughter and my son, that helped me know them just a little bit better…
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
BY CHARLI ELLIOTT
I want to always rise to the
Challenge. I want to never sit alone.
I want to learn to talk and be heard.
I want to watch as the grass grows
Old and dies. Month after month. Year after year.
I want to see. If the moon can rise
Every night, I want the taste
Following your dreams…with the help of a coach
Sometimes in life we need help to fulfill our dreams. Thanks to many coaches throughout my childhood, I became a better basketball player and reached my goal of receiving a scholarship to play basketball in college. When I decided to write my book, Back on the Court, I hired a writing coach to help me become a better writer. Coaches can be helpful in many areas of your life.
If you are looking for support in setting goals and realizing your dreams, go to www.mamaneedsarefill.com and learn more about Life Coach Jenny McGlothern’s complimentary life coaching session and follow you heart and soul to the life you’ve always imagined.
Oct 20 – Book Signing at EWU Bookstore (Homecoming)
Date: Saturday Oct 20, 2012
Time: 12:30-1:30pm
Location: Eastern Washington University Bookstore – 152 Pence Union Bldg
Cheney WA, 99004
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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Monday’s Pen to Paper: Just Do It
There is mayhem in our house. We’ve had two weeks of construction. Two weeks with no washing machine. Hours with no water. A wayward water pump and lots and lots of noise. Later this week, the dust and pounding will move to our kitchen.
My husband is complaining. “It’s been a month already, when will they be done?”
“It’s only been two weeks,” I remind him. “Four or five weeks to go.” I give him a wink. He works out of the house. His home office is not easy to work in. I’ll have to admit, the noise doesn’t foster an enviroment for writing either, but when is life ever perfect. Today I’m making myself write. What I come up with may not be award worthy, or worth reading for that matter, but I’ll use the old NIKE adage and JUST DO IT…just write.
Whether its writing or doing something else, there will […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Game Plan
The basketball team I coach had a big game last Friday. I scouted the opponent and watched last season’s game film. Then my assistants and I put together a game plan that we felt, if implemented well, would give us a win and another step in the direction toward our season goals.
We adjusted our defense, informed our team of the opponents individual strengths and how to stop them, and emphasized offensive priorities. The plan worked to perfection.
We celebrated in the moment and then as coaches, started working on our next game plan, tweaking and adjusting for the road ahead.
Life is like basketball in so many ways. We set goals, find what it takes to reach those goals and then work on our game plan, growing and changing as we go.
Take a minute to go over your game plan. What adjustments do you […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: A Lucky Save
Yesterday there was a little yelling at our house. We are remodeling the basement and had to move some extremely heavy items out of the way, one is a foosball table that hasn’t been pried through the narrow doorway it somehow entered almost 20 years ago. After fighting several large pieces of furniture through the tiny opening, and letting a few choice words slip during our frustration, it was time for the main event, the foosball table. We removed the table legs, but this still left us with a cumbersome and very heavy table top with metal rods sliding and protruding from both sides.
Needless to say, by the time we finished and made it to the dinner table my son and daughter and husband were cranky. I thought food would help. It wasn’t enough. The kids asked to be excused. “No.” […]
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