Friday, January 11, 2019

The Panthers versus the Hawkeyes

Thursday, January 10:  Christopher is a freshman this year at Comstock Park High. He is involved with a LOT of sports: football, basketball, Lacrosse--and last year, wrestling as well. I'm glad Chris is playing sports! It's good for him, I think. There is a ninth grade basketball team that plays other high school freshman teams, and Christopher is on the CP team. This was a home game, so I made an effort and a point to BE there. This is the first game I've seen and it was already their 8th game--shame on me.
 The opponents, the Hamilton Hawkeyes, were a good tight team. Very good shots. Very disciplined team work, etc. Christopher does not agree with my assessment. The opponents won by about 18 points (I think). Christopher played some of the last quarter. I don't agree with the ninth grade coach. I think ALL players should play almost EQUAL time, no matter their skill level or the score of the game. There are more important things than winning a game!
Since this was Thursday, I picked Kaity-kins up from school at 3:20 and dragged (!!) her with me to the game. I had a bag full of "stuff" for Kaity to do, as well as snacks.
 But back to the game ... ninth grade basketball is NOT junior varsity. How else are new players going to gain any experience? How are they going to improve their skills if they don't get to play in a real game--not mere scrimmages! Their coach mainly used the same seven players and then threw everyone else in during the last three minutes of the game. I don't think that teaches these guys much about good sportsmanship (Grandpa and Grandma Hand were in total agreement).






 Chris showed amazing effort when he was playing--he looked like he was 100% into it. Basketball has a lot of running back and forth and it takes a lot of skill to maintain the ball and shoot and defend, etc. Anyway, I would have liked to have seen a more fair use of the players.

After the game, I took Chris and Kaity to eat at McD's (Chris's choice). I was sad as I listened to Chris as he relayed his thoughts about the game, the other team, etc. It's always hard on my heart to hear things that just aren't true, especially if Chris really believes that they ARE true. SO ... I'll take those hard things to the Lord in prayer and ask God to help Christopher KNOW right from wrong, truth from fiction, mercy, kindness, grace ... because we all need those things desperately if we are going to really LIVE in the short time we have on earth. 

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