Hack-a-Shaq on The Hardwood, Dunkadelic Style!

My Will has always been a baller. He loves to throw, shoot, hit, bounce, roll, dribble, and kick balls of rubber. He has had tons of practice, in very casual games (if you can call our family games casual, that may be a little tame for the competition that goes on between the boys and the girls) of kick ball, basketball, baseball, handball, and soccer, but has never participated in any organized team sports, until this year.

Will always shows up ready to play and doesn't mind playing with the big boys. This year at school, Will took up handball. Lily informs me that he plays with the big kids and isn't scared to go and try his hardest. At the beginning of the year, Will had never played but he wanted to learn, so he would wait in line at the "Big Kid Court" for half his recess just so he could learn all about waterfalls, double bouncies, butt cracks and all those other wild rules that make up hand ball. Even though he would only spend a couple minutes, if that, on the court before he had to get back in line, he didn't quit. He kept on showing up and now is doing great.

He reminds me of his cousin Justin. Justin loved playing any game and he didn't mind who he was playing with. And when J, as I like to call him, came to play, he gave his all, he was known to slide into home on the pavement in Nana's culdesac, definately a gamer!

Will's first experience was basketball. He was lucky to get on Coach Ray's team. Coach Ray is one of those volunteers that make a community great: a strong leader who sacrifices his time and energy to build kids. He is Inspiring. Every day after practice he would gather the kids together in a circle and shout, "What's the number one RULE!" to which the kids would chant, "Have Fun!" And they all did. They had fun. He had them running all over that court teaching them to hustle and play hard as well as the fundamentals of the game. Coach Ray often demonstrated what it meant to try your hardest. Once when doing sprints Coach Ray stopped them and showed them what it meant to run hard, "You gotta run so hard that you don't think you can run any harder. You gotta give it your all." Will understood. As I drove him to the the following practice, Will said, "today I am going to run my hardest!" and after that was always one of the first runners at the finish line.

Will learned all the fundamentals, dribbling, shooting, defense, offense (which means fight through the crowd and take it to the hoop) as well as to cheer for his team and say,"Nice shot!" "Great pass," "Nice hustle!" giving team mates credit for their work. Good stuff!

Coach Ray knew he was teaching more than just basketball, but building character. I am grateful for volunteers like him that really make a difference.