Try something new
My friend and I escaped for the weekend to write. We woke, ate and drove to the sun to set pen to paper. Our writing warm up, “sea air & bird poop”, became…a poem?
The dock sways. I close my eyes. The salty air surrounds my body. Slightly cool it breaks the heat of the morning sun.
Coos and Cackles. Hums from unseen pigeons. Remnants of their presence on the dock by my feet. Like paint across rusty nails and deeply grooved wood.
Water sparkling all around. No camera in hand, I take a snapshot in my mind. Heaven
Sometimes it’s fun to try something new…
August 4 – Book Signing at A Book for All Seasons
Date: Saturday – August 4, 2012
Time: 1-3 pm
Location: A Book for All Seasons – 703 Hwy 2, Leavenworth, WA 98826 http://abookforallseasons.com/map/
More event information: http://abookforallseasons.com/events/2012_elliott/
August 3 – Book Reading – TGIF at the Leavenworth Library
Date: August 3, 2012
Time: 7:00
Location: Leavenworth Public Library, 700 US Highway 2, Leavenworth, WA 98826-1328
More event information: http://abookforallseasons.com/events/2012_elliott/
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Is it time for a break?
Basketball Twenty-four Seven? I don’t believe in it. You’re probably thinking, “What? A high school coach and former Division 1 college athlete doesn’t recommend that a player dive into to the game all the time?” Nope. I don’t. Unless of course it is ALL by choice. Every kid, and adult for that matter, needs a little nudge here and there throughout life, and when a kid is on the court, I expect 100%, but that’s part of the reason I don’t believe in practicing and playing all the time. It’s overkill. Basketball, or any activity, all the time can equal burnout.
I’m 45 years old and happy if I can get in a couple of days a week on the court playing basketball. After college I would play every day if I could. But before that it was different. During college I would take about a month off during the summer. College was intense and because of that, I needed the mental and physical break.
I started playing organized basketball in 7th grade (during the season) and by 10th grade I played on an AAU team that played in a couple of spring tournaments. My last two years of high school I played on a serious AAU team. That team practiced once or twice a week, played in a few games and tournaments and went to the Regional and National Championships. But that was just during the spring and part of summer. Not year long like many kids today. I loved playing basketball, but I ran track, played volleyball, sang and hung out with my friends too.
When I ask kids about their weekends these days I often hear, “Oh, I had another tournament.” Occasionally their eyes light up but more often than not, there is one word along with the […]
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.
Blog
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Peace in Friendships
Tuesday I had a modeling job for Ex Officio with a woman who I had coached when I was an assistant high school basketball coach just out of college. Now we both have laugh lines and covered greys. She is 40 with 4 kids. I am 47 with 2 kids. It seems crazy that we should work together all these years later as models, not to mention, she is also a basketball coach.
Four hours on the job seemed like nothing. We chatted about the upcoming season (our teams are even in the same league and will be playing one another). As a head coach I stress about the upcoming season, so it was nice to talk to another coach.
Wednesday I met my best friend from high school. She is not an athlete, but we are on the same page with most things. She gets me. Basketball filtered in and out […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: The Court of Life
I’ve been going through my basketball newsletters, and searching through websites, printing out basketball drills and plays to add to my collection. It’s always fun to have a few new tidbits for the upcoming season.
Last year I found some great new drills while attending coaches clinics. I also found a couple of new things that once I tried to implement them didn’t really work well with our team. Sometimes that’s the way things work on the court, you have to give it a try, adjust, try again, and if it’s not working, move on.
At one of the clinics before our season last year I took notes on an intense half-court trapping defense that I knew would be perfect for our team. I could envision us surprising everyone in our league, wildly trapping opponents and then stealing passes for easy buckets. I […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Just do it!
Sonya Elliott – Eastern Washington University 1988
Writing is hard work.
Yesterday, throughout the day, I watched my daughter fill up her third composition notebook with words. She is working on a book. I would walk by her room, and peak in and watch her in awe. Then as I’d walk away, I’d beat myself up, “Come on Sonya, pull out your notebook and write.”
On days when I’m not inspired to write, it can be nearly impossible to get myself going. I’ve been fighting a cold and I didn’t feel like doing much of anything, but that is really no excuse. I’d like to say I wrote yesterday, that after my short speech to myself writing prevailed, but it didn’t.
The couch, a walk to the beach and the Seahawks prevailed. All good things for sure, but that is why today it is all the […]
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