Monday’s Pen to Paper: A Season to Remember
photo by Paul Mosely
One of my coaches texted me yesterday, “Wow…no practice next week.” My reply, “Weird huh?” For the last four months we have be in full basketball mode. Practices and tournaments and games non-stop. We went undefeated in our league, were league Champions, made it through Districts and Regionals without our point guard and then headed to the State Tournament for the first time in school history.
The random draw going into the State Tournament matched us up against the #1 ranked team in the State for our first game (they eventually won the tournament). “How unlucky,” people lamented when I saw them after the brackets were set for the tournament. I stayed positive. “The good news is that we get #1 right out of the gate and we can knock them off when we are well rested.” It didn’t happen, we lost. But we came back in our second game and got the win, and then played for 4th or 6th in our final game, were we lost by just one point.
It’s hard to end the season on a loss, but I reminded the girls that we were one of the top teams in State. Placing 6th in State is incredible, especially considering five years earlier we had just three wins. Still, after four intense days of basketball, when the season ended on Saturday with a loss, it hurt. It took some reminding to appreciate what we’d done, we had changed the girl’s basketball program at our high school, made school history and excited the community.
And when I talked to the girls in the locker room after the game, I assured them that the most important thing to remember was the journey they had over the year and the friendships that […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Hard Work
“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence.” Colin Powell
It was an exciting weekend. Our girl’s basketball program won our looser-out Regional game on Saturday to head to the State Tournament for the first time in school history. I am so proud of the girls. They have gone the extra mile. they have pushed themselves all season long to be better athletes and better teammates for one another.
Nothing beats seeing hard work pay off.
WRITING PROMPT: Write about a time in your life when your hard work paid off. Now write about a time when it didn’t. What did you learn? Did the experience change you?
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Leave It All On The Court
It’s basketball 24/7 these days, we’re in the playoffs. We have a Regional loser out game tomorrow night to get to State. I wish the game was tonight, the waiting is killing me! But instead we have had all week to prepare and get the girls healthy (The flu passed through our team and finally the players are feeling better.)
Monday was a light practice. Tuesday and Wednesday we really pushed the girls. Last night we had a fun practice and team dinner and today we will have a shooting practice. Then it’s game time. Of course a win would be optimal, and we are going to do everything in our power to make that happen, but if the players “leave it all on the court”, give it everything that they’ve got, then there can be no regrets.
This is the same for living life. Life is never perfect. It’s filled with the ups and downs. But if you live your life to the fullest – leave it all on the court – you are sure to find happiness along the way.
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Dig Deep
Recently our point guard went down with an ACL injury. A complete tear. As her coach, it’s a bummer of course, but she will be dealing with it every day for the next six to nine months. That SUCKS…and that’s putting it mildly.
I think of our point guard every day, throughout the day, because I know what it’s like to deal with injuries. On the court I’ve dealt with sprained ankles, broken fingers and other sports injuries. And I’ve returned from a bad femur break and arm & shoulder injury after a car accident (more about my recovery in this Eastern Magazine article Peace, Love, Basketball by Kandi Carper), so I know that surgery and physical rehabilitation are difficult, but it’s the mental recovery that’s the toughest.
Athletes want to play. Our point guard wants to play. She wants to feel and be a part of her team. And though she is still very important, I know it doesn’t feel the same when you’re not on the court. And when the season is over, she will miss the team camaraderie when she will need it most.
Fortunately this year our team is very connected, and I know they will reach out to their downed teammate after our final game, but it will not be the same. So that is when that injured player; our point guard, your friend, your husband, maybe you, need to dig deep and do what must be done to get better. Because life must go on and it’s a hell of a lot more fun when you’re healthy. And when you’re healthy it’s a lot easier to be happy.
Be strong and always believe in you!
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: Celebrate Each Precious Moment
It feels like spring this morning. It’s cold and crisp but it’s lighter outside and there’s a different feel in the air. Oh, I know that this will not last long. That we will get hit again with day upon day of non-stop rain and darkness, I live in Seattle after all.
But does it matter? What is important is to take this spring teaser, this bright moment, and each precious moment in our life, and celebrate.
WRITING PROMPT #1: Write about those things that bring joy to your life.
WRITING PROMPT #2: When Eric reached the end of the trail he…
Interviews Coming Soon
Stay tuned for interviews with people that have inspired me. I hope they will inspire you as well.
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Let’s Just Play Ball and Leave Acting for the Stage
I love basketball, but sometimes these days I wonder what is happening to the integrity of the game. What’s up with all the cheap play and dramatic antics? I watch it happen in games at every level, professional, college, and high school, as well as in my women’s rec-league.
Are you wondering what I’m talking about?
Let me explain by giving you a few examples. Recently before one of my daughter’s college games, she rolled her eyes and said, “Wait until you see #44 from the other team. She flops during every play, trying to draw a foul.” And sure enough during the game, play after play; this young woman (and a couple of other women from the team) threw themselves to the floor, arms flailing. I found myself hollering at the refs, “She’s flopping! That’s not a […]
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