Monday’s Pen to Paper: Are you wearing green?
I looked up St. Patrick’s Day, and Luck of the Irish, and leprechauns and Pots of Gold and Green clothes and Green beer and other traditions for this Irish Day. And I wasn’t surprised to find that the day has been totally Americanized. What would make St. Patrick’s Day any different from all the other holidays we celebrate in our country?
Though I’m not one to jump on the commercial bandwagon, I also won’t turn down a green beer, and on March 17th I always search my closet for green.
Go green and enjoy the day.
WRITING PROMPT: What would you do if you found a pot of gold?
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: AAU:The Promised Land?
Sonya Elliott AAU 1984
My kids are playing AAU basketball this spring (and so are some of the players I coach.) When I was young I played on several teams that gave me the opportunity to travel and compete. Back in the 80’s we didn’t pay-to-play but we had to raise our own money to travel. All the bake sales and car washes were worth every minute for the chance to go to Nationals. And playing in those tournaments gave me the opportunity to compete with the best.
Over the years as a coach I have witnessed both good and bad when it comes to AAU programs. Players can learn bad habits or come back to their high school teams at a higher level. It is what they make of it. Unfortunately, some parents, and players, believe that playing AAU will be their road to the promised land. A Full-Ride Division 1 scholarship. They spend money on AAU so their child can be seen by college coaches (money that could be used to pay for college itself) thinking the experience is a guarantee to play at the next level. There are no guarantees. There is only hard work, determination, and a little luck. (And don’t forget good grades)
Play AAU because you love to play, work to better your game, have fun and if you are lucky you will find the promised land.
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Sun Inspiration
I love hearing birds when I wake up in the morning. It gives me hope that spring will arrive. In Seattle we are under water. I know it isn’t much to complain about, there are much worse weather scenarios out there in the world, and I even enjoy rainy days…for a while, but I am ready for sun, or at least for DRY.
Yesterday, I woke to birds and this thing called light, that has been absent with all the rain, shining through my window and I was inspired. I threw on my old jeans, dirty tennis shoes and a work shirt. I grabbed the wheel barrel and shovel and got to work re-building the steps in our yard that connect the grass to the alley. It had been bugging me all winter. We had extra bricks and stones from a project in the front yard that I had plans for.
I spent a few hours digging and lifting and sweating, and besides feeling frustrated because my eyes were itchy and my nose runny–the one downside of nice weather is that my allergies kick in–I was happy. And when my son walked to the back, to the area I was working on (which is almost never seen unless you are taking out the garbage) he said, “Wow Mom, did you do that all today?” I acted cool and casual and tilted my head with my quiet, “Yep,” but inside I was beaming.
My husband cleaned his office and changed the oil in his motorcycle and wiped it spotless. What is it about Spring that gets us going?
WRITING PROMPT: Write about how Spring inspires you.
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: The AWE of State
I went to the State Basketball tournament yesterday. At first I sat by myself in a place where I could watch both the boys and the girls games at the same time. Sometimes it’s best when I’m alone because I do a better job watching, but part of the fun is the whole experience. I have been at State many times as an assistant coach, so each time I walk into the Tacoma Dome I get that feeling of AWE. That, “We made it” feel that is still hidden deep in my bones. I remember the tears and fallen shoulders during the tough times and the hugs and screams after the wins, and the girls piled on the floor around a giant trophy. It was so fun to be a part of it all.
After moving from the quiet of my “private” seat, I went from coach to coach to former player to teammate to coach moving my way through The Dome. The only way the day could have been better would have been to be there with my team, on the court competing. And they could have been there. We were so close. That’s the way the playoffs work.
“We scored more against that team.” I’d think to myself, and might even mention to the coach next to me with a sigh, “We only lost by 3 to that team.” But in the end, to get there you have to do what it takes, and do it at the right time. And this year we didn’t.
Next year I hope my team will be at the Dome, building their own memories to look back on.
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: 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…
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Check One Thing Off Your List
The house is quiet and I like it. The Holiday break this year was amazing but there is nothing like a silent house that helps me to unwind, even when I’ve got a long list of things to do already this New Year. The quiet makes it all seem less daunting.
I woke up early this morning, threw in a load of laundry, made lunches for my kids to take to school and then pulled out my dreaded paperwork. I figured I should knock things off my To-Do list right away. I have ASB and Booster Club deposits and expense reports to complete for basketball, so I spread papers and recipes across the kitchen table, (it felt like I had started on my taxes early this year, which I probably should) and got to work. It […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Give Yourself A Break This New Year
The Holidays are always a little hectic for me, especially since it comes smack in the middle of basketball season, and this year the day after Christmas our basketball team met at 4:00am to catch a flight to California and returned December 30th at 10:30pm. We met friends early the next day, stayed out late New Year Eve and had friends over to watch football on New Years Day. I had a great time but today I was tired.
I could really tell I was in need of a break when my husband asked me to go play basketball after my practice this morning and I said, “No.” I waffled several times after my initial response, (because there was a part of me that wanted to be on the court), but for once, I didn’t REALLY […]
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