When tryouts started, there were simply not enough girls. It isn't because we don't have enough female athletes. We have tons of soccer and volleyball players who are committed to year-round teams, and we have a number of ladies on our swim team, whose season is concurrent with basketball. As preparations for the season were to begin, there were only five players. Apparently, that is not enough, so our coaches sent this e-mail to our senior English teacher.
This teacher, well known for her ability to convince students, made an impassioned speech to the senior girls. In the words of one senior, "Her speech had no commas. She's an English teacher, so she should really use commas." Eight senior girls went home that night to tell their parents they wanted to be on the basketball team. In the end, five of those girls were able to follow through to the team, one as stat bookkeeper, some taking the time to Google "rules of basketball." Each of these girls was very athletic in other sports, but none had ever been on a basketball team. Two of the players on this team were 8th graders, playing up to the varsity level. The coaches of this team choose a word every year for the players to rally around; this year, they chose FIGHT.
Under the mentorship of our incredible coaches, Tonya and David Taylor, and their alumni assistant, Lizz Wilson, these eight girls went on to fight for each and every game. They grew as individuals and as a team, and their season record was 16-7. They played in the conference championship, were invited to States, and won the first round there. The team that nearly wasn't blew away all expectations (or lack thereof).
To a woman, they have each also talked about how much fun they had this season. Senior Reece Goodman said, "If I'd know it was this much fun, I'd have done it years ago." When asked what advice they would give to rising seniors, several of them said, "Try something you've never done before." What a great lesson this is for them to take into their adult lives. The 8th graders were inspired to fight harder than they would have if they hadn't been watching the hustle in these first-year players. Apparently, the players weren't the only ones having fun. Coach David Taylor, known school wide for his funny and often sarcastic tweeting, has put up more sincere love for this team than ever. He has been effusive about the fun he has had coaching them and how much they inspire him. Here's a sample from my quick stalk of his feed. There are many more and many that express his pride in great detail.
As a spectator, I'm proud whenever we play hard, regardless of the outcome. This team and its coaches, however, will hold a special place in my heart forever. The courage it took for the coaches to reach out and beg for help showed vulnerability at its finest. The courage it took for those seniors who had never played before to put themselves in a place of potential humiliation showed the best of school spirit. The fact that teams they have beaten don't know the story of the team that beat them makes me happy in ways I don't know how to express.
As a teacher, I try to make as many memories as possible. When you look back on your school life, the days can blur together because so many of them are so similar. Anything I can do to give a student a positive memory on which to look back, I'll do. This may be my favorite thing about the story of this team. As adults, they will be able to look back and remember this amazing season and the lessons they taught each other. They will be able to tell their own children to do something new and share their experience. They will remember these coaches and the impact they had forever. These are days that will NOT blur into each other for them or for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment