PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Adjustments on the court of “life”
When you’re playing basketball you need to be ready to adjust to the changes on the court, just like you have to do in life sometimes. This morning I left my house at 7:00am to take my vanagon to the mechanic in Ballard. (You may have ready about the “Blue Bomber in an earlier post) Well, just as I was coming up the ramp to get on Highway 99, which was soon to be packed with the early morning traffic, my vanagon stopped running. Time to adjust.
My eyes darted to the gas gauge, the needle slowly lowered as the engine petered out. Phew, there was gas. Though maybe running out of gas would have been a good thing (except for the fact that I would feel stupid), an empty gas tank would be an easy fix. I lost all power, and like a guard running the fast break, I scanned ahead, assessed the situation and swerved to the left. It would have been more fun to take a player to the basket, but I was happy with finding a shoulder wide enough to skirt the soon-to-be bumper to bumper traffic and avoid the morning news for ruining the commute. There would be no helicopters overhead filming the blue Volkswagen blocking the road, just my own time lost.
My blue box rolled into the one spot on Highway 99 that has space for an extra car. I didn’t even utter a swear word. (though I’m certain if I’d been on my way to work or a basketball game, things might have been different.) I put the car in Park, put on the emergency flashers, grabbed my cell and called for a tow. (This was not my first rodeo).
“The tow truck should be there […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Research
It is said that to be a good writer you must read. However, when I find a good book, it can be time consuming, therefore a little detrimental to my writing process.
Because of this, at times I’m fearful of a good story.
This morning while I was having breakfast I scolded myself as I reached for the hard bound book that was sitting on the kitchen table. The young man on the cover (who looks like Justin Bieber) is wearing a space suit and is gazing out from behind rounded glass. The patch on his shoulder reads “Lunar Search and Rescue-Failure is Not an Option.” Though I just now noticed this patch and I’m intrigued, the title and cover hadn’t drawn me in before, but this weekend both my son and daughter blew through Apollo’s Outcasts by Allen Steele. They couldn’t put it down.
This could be a problem for me.
I am currently working on a young adult novel. “I must read Apollo’s Outcast,” I tell myself. It’s research right? I read the first page. “Sonya put it down!” I do it…for now. I have mom duties and work to take care of, but tonight I may have to take an adventure to the moon.
If you’re a writer, find a book in your genre and do some research. If you’re not a writer, find a good book and enjoy.
All New PeaceLoveBasketball Store Coming Soon
My daughter helped me out today and shot some of our new PeaceLoveBasketball Apparel . These new products will be available soon with the arrival of a new PeaceLoveBasketball store front. Get a first glimpse at the environmentally friendly and stylish t-shirts and hoodie…
PeaceLoveBasketball Fridays: Guidance
It’s hard at times be on the outside looking in, watching our kids move through life and experience life, with different coaches and teachers. We want their lives to be perfect, each experience to be perfect. But there are always struggles (as well as good times) along the way. And isn’t that what life is all about?
There is a common saying among coaches, “You learn more from the losses.” Not only does this saying help buffer the pain of a loss on the court, I believe it is true. Just as it is true in life.
When times are tough and don’t go our way. We can either blame others and pout, or “pull up our bootstraps” and find out what needs to be done, move forward, and make a positive step in the right direction. As parents, it’s our job to help our kids learn this not-so-easy life skill.
My daughter isn’t crazy about her Math teacher. At the beginning of the year when I asked about her school day, she’d say, “It was terrible. I hate math.” As a parent that’s not fun to hear. What about the rest of the day? Nothing. Just the bitter taste of MATH stuck in her head. I wanted to get her a new math teacher, instead we talked about ways she could be successful in class, and try, at the very least, to endure and not dread it. We talked about how it was important to learn to have, at minimum, a good relationship with her math teacher, “You may have bosses or employees one day that you don’t get along with very well, but you’ll need to work with them.” She still doesn’t love math, but it doesn’t ruin her day.
My son […]
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
Monday’s Pen to Paper: You
Take a moment for yourself today.
WRITING PROMPT: Write about a time that you were self-indulgent…
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Getting Older
I had my first (and hopefully last), root canal this morning at 7:00am. I was hoping maybe it was all a mistake. My tooth wasn’t really hurting all that bad. But with X-rays and sensitivity tests it was decided that yes, a root canal was in order.
When the doc started working she reconfirmed that it would have been a matter of time, things already looked pretty inflamed. She made note of the fact that I must be pretty tough. I liked this. (This in itself is a blog all its own.)
To me, getting a root canal is a sign of getting old. This, I didn’t like.
My dad said to me once, “Sonya, you’re only as old as you feel.” This morning I feel old. But as the numbness in my mouth fades so will my melancholy mood, and I’ll be glad my tooth ache is gone, glad for modern medicine and glad […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Surprise Yourself
Yesterday was my Thursday night women’s basketball league. Most of the players on our team played basketball at the college level, and though a lot of us are over 40-years-old, we are competitive with other teams. Last night we played a new team to the league. The women arrived in short shorts and running shoes. I was concerned.
The game ended 74-17 in our favor. Normally this type of game would have really frustrated me, and to be honest, scared me. (It’s when players are out of control that people get hurt.) But these women did not play crazy out of control, just extremely rusty and what was interesting and inspiring was that they had all played basketball together in high school and they had decided to put a team together and go for it. Who could knock that?
This morning those […]
Follow Sonya