I just received this email from one of the 8th grade girls (13 and 14 year olds) on my basketball team that just completed our 45 game Fall and Winter league and tournament seasons. These ten girls will never know how much they have saved my life and how much they have given me these past few months. Ironically, our practices ran late on Tuesday and Thursday nights which became “date” nights for WW and OM particularly during last October and November prior to D-Day. So I guess to balance the universe, while something dark, wrong and deceitful was happening something far more meaningful and good was taking place at the same time. I will always cherish this email.
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Hey Coach!

I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done! I have learned so much from just being on your team! (I think the WHOLE team has!!!) I have had so much fun on this team! I have never had so much fun on a team before! I can’t wait till the coaches at SL see me!!!! haha. I hope that I will play with most of these girls again! Next year I have a goal for myself, I want to make the JV team!! I really really hope I do!!

From being on you team I have more confidence in myself. . . . . and in my shot!! Those 3 pointers are sooooo cool!!! O yea and those hook shots!! So. . . I just wanted to say (again) thanks for everything you have done!!! I hope ill see you sometime this year!! And NOT AT VOLLYBALL!!! Come to some of my basketball games!! Those are better. . much much better!! Thanks again Coach!!!

P.S please stay in touch!!! o yea I will NEVER stop calling you coach!! haha

cool

Great job Chrisner!

My husband is a coach too Chrisner and he's always having things like this happen. He's a teacher too- so that really helps keep him motivated.

Good job! It's about changing lives!

Thanks for sharing that, Coach "C"......you never know how many lives you impact in a positive way though sports.

Ace

CoachC,

Here in Texas (home of the cheerleader killing mom) where sports are so competitive....I haven't enrolled my kids in team sports. The parents are out of control, and even six year olds have private coaches. It's insane. I hate that my kids are losing out on the kind of experience you've given your players.

Star,

Parents are out of control everywhere, but you don't have to be. Get your kids into it, IF they want to try. It can be a real education, even if the experience is not as positive as we would like.

Just a thought you do realize that with the exception of a FEW pro athletes almost everyone athletic "career" ends in failure, don't you? Seriously, think about it at some point we all had to quit playing and usually it was because we weren't good enough for the next level or got injured or just worn out.

Put your kids on times, IF they want to. They will find some they like, and some they don't like. But, they will begin to learn what a team really is, and that Star is career building for them.

JL

JL,

It isn't failure I'm worried about! Or that they may need to quit or won't excel. I've lived in lots of places as you know....and even though parents are out of control everywhere.....I've seen NOTHING that could top this place.

There are lots of ways to do career building with other "teams" besides high pressure sports. My kids are musicians, and they were always in the band and drum line. The've all taken karate, and tennis. The youngest likes golf. They get the benefits without the drama in sports where the parents aren't so stuck up, nuts....and the kids are nicer.