The End is Near!

Thank goodness… Basketball season is almost over for us.

But I have to admit, although I am not a great “sports mom,” I love the development that we’ve seen in the boy and the excitement he is showing in who he is turning out to be.

He loved running out of the tunnel when his name was called. He liked to do some crazy things while going out. One time he ran out of the tunnel, did a somersault and ran to the middle. He was so impressed with himself; he thought he was big stuff.

He went from not being able to dribble the ball – Seriously, it hit his foot every time he attempted to dribble. He spent more time chasing the ball than actually putting his hands on it. – to being able to make it down the court with the ball staying in its desired place. If you had seen what he was able to do before b-ball season began, you would be utterly astonished. You would think that this was not the same kid from January.

After several games, he finally started to see that he had a job to do on the team, other than just standing there or looking off into space or playing a game that only he knows.

Although he craved having the ball, he didn’t know what to do with it once he got it. Now he knows to dribble it down, look for an open player and toss it to them. Or occasionally, he actually took a shot at the basket. Not that he made it, mind you. But hey, there is always room for improvement in everything, right?

And he learned that when the other team has the ball, he needed to defend his goal. This little tidbit took a looooooooooooooong time to learn. But he knows now to put his hands out and try to steal the ball. On his last game, he just started going up to the person with the ball (whether it was his man or not) and taking it out of his hands. He’s turning into a b-ball bully! Yeah!

Mostly, I am amazed by the character development he has found. He loved memorizing the scriptures to say at every practice. He could recall them when something applied in his life over the past few months. He grew in his ability to listen longer and to grasp what others wanted him to do. He liked seeing his friends and being a part of the team. I watched him learn what to do with someone who was mean to him for no big reason, and how, now, because my son showed kindness and perseverance, that same boy will high five him during a play.

In short, the boy is growing up. And even though I am sad to watch my baby take those steps, I really like the person he is turning out to be – a terrific kid who likes himself.

And that is reason to celebrate!