Monday’s Pen to Paper: Life
Do you ever look in the mirror, or see a picture of yourself, and wonder what the hell happened? I’ve done this a lot lately. I mean, I look fine, I just look…old. Older than I used to look. And that’s okay, kind of, it’s just hard to wrap my mind around sometimes. The wrinkles, the thin skin, the grey, the aches and pains (well these I don’t see in the mirror, I just feel them). But what’s funny, is that in so many ways, I still feel like I’m in my 30’s, yet I’m closing in on 50.
50 years old!
My age has never really bothered me. In fact when I tell some one my age I alway say I’m almost 49. I have always gone to the next highest number and then said “almost.” Now I’m thinking I should change that habit.
As I have gotten older, life has become a balance between fighting aging (by eating healthy and exercising) and learning to grow old gracefully. Convincing myself that this is just life. But you know what? It’s not easy. And I’m not the only one that feels this way.
I spent the weekend with my grandma (she’s 96 years old), and when we were sitting at dinner in her new senior living center, she said, “I’m sitting here with a bunch of old people.” And I could sense that she couldn’t believe that she was one of them. My friends have also started to complain of old age sneaking up on them. The years of invincibility are gone and though it’s good in so many ways, it’s also a challenge to comprehend at times.
I have started by never looking in a mirror. (Okay, that’s a joke, but actually not a bad idea.) No really, I just do my best to appreciate the […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Support at the High School level is a game changer
“We just beat last year’s State Champions!” echoed from the locker room as my assistant coaches and I gathered to enter for our post-game talk. The girls continued, “And did you see the crowd? Our entire student section was standing and cheering…for a GIRL’S BASKETBALL GAME!”
We walked in. Need I say more.
Seated on the bench in front of me there are eight girls who are totally invested in our program and more importantly in one another. This is a special team.
And this team has support that is unprecedented. It hasn’t always been this way, high school athletics are under a lot of scrutiny these days, but this year we have complete support and I know the players feel it. We have an administration that cares, an athletic director that has our backs, a phenomenal coaching staff, a parent group like no other and a community that is engaged with their local team.
Our girls put in the hard work every day to prepare for the games, but the support for our program is the game changer.
Find a way to support your local high school programs.
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Learning How To Walk In Peace
This weekend I had a woman, who is trained in self-defense, come to the gym to work with our girl’s basketball program. (We did this last year too, and both times it’s been a hit.) The girls have a blast and I love knowing that they are that much more prepared for life. Thanks so much to Sheri Hashemi (International Krav Maga Seattle) for her time and energy in working with our girls!
“International Krav Maga Seattle’s mission is to provide practical self-defense training to those who seek the knowledge so that they too can walk in peace.”
It’s important to be prepared for life and remember to always walk in peace.
WRITING PROMPT: What does “Walking in Peace” mean to you?
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: One Day At A Time
The high school girls that I coach had another big win this week. I’m happy for them, they have worked hard thus far to get in shape and develop their basketball skills. Still, they have a long road a head of them if they want to achieve all of the lofty, yet attainable, goals that they have set for themselves this year.
One day at a time.
A philosophy that works on and off the court…
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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PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Keeping The FUN In fundamentals!
Are you coaching young kids? Ones who don’t know anything about basketball? This can be a challenge, even more so if you played basketball at a higher level, because honestly it’s hard to remember the little parts of the game once they’ve become second nature.
I remember when a friend asked if I would coach our girls when they were in third grade, first I asked my daughter if she wouldn’t mind having me as her coach, then after accepting the position, I sat down and thought a lot about how to best use an hour of practice time with these young ladies. I had played basketball through college and had coached high school for many years, so I knew the game (and I was competitive), but I wanted these grade school girls to learn the game and have fun.
I […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Set New Goals To Live Your Best Life In The New Year
Photo: Tim McGuire
It’s a new year and I’m starting off 2016 with some new goals. I’m not one to make New Year’s Resolutions, but I like setting a few goals, things to work toward in the new year.
2015 was a great year and I did my best to enjoy it up to the very end. And that doesn’t mean I partied the nights away up until New Years Eve (though that could have been fun), it means I simply relished uninterrupted time with my family. My daughter was home from college, my son was out of school on winter break and my husband was off of work for the last ten days of 2105. We played board games together, went for walks, had friends over, watched basketball, watched movies, ate a lot of good food, played basketball, played […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Inspired to Work Hard
Last week I talked about hanging up my basketball shoes. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to play the way I want to play. And though I’ve found that this is how it works as I get older and don’t practice much, this feeling would hit me on occasion even when I was young. I LOVE basketball, but there were many times during my career when I went through slumps, times I literally feared the free throw line because I knew that my shot wouldn’t go in. One slump was so bad that during an overtime game against Idaho State, the entire opposing bench (including their coaches) yelled out, “foul number 10,” when they needed our team to go to the line so that they might have a chance to get the ball back.
I was #10.
It took a long time […]
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