The Basketball Diaries

I am assistant coach, but I do a fair amount of the coaching. Head coach and I do not always see eye to eye, but I defer to him without argument because, you know, it's eight-year-old basketball.

I proposed a play to try to get the ball to players who don't usually have the ball and put them in a position to potentially score. I thought we might practice it for a few minutes each practice and then run it in the last few games of the season.

Then the practicing of this play occupied an entire practice, crowding out scrimmage and some drills. I thought it a tad excessive, but whatever. Then in the game, we only ran that play (which I found excessively excessive), and not to the players who don't usually get the ball but to the same kids who are already scoring anyway.

This is where things started to break down. Skipping much detail, I am now fielding complaints from within my own home and from other parents regarding the handling of the team (not sharing the ball enough). I don't mind feedback, but because I am the more vocal coach during games--calling time outs, making defensive adjustments, etc--the feedback is coming to me. I don't really know what to do with it on account of, I agree with it but I have been deferring to the head coach.

But I guess I need to be a bit less deferential because Caleb, who started the season loving basketball, now says he hates it and it is a battle to prevent him quitting the team. To me, at this age, this is coaching failure.

Ugh. Basketball, for eight-year-olds. Who knew it could occupy so much emotional attention.

Valentine's Playlist 2014

Annual tradition of putting together songs that remind me of the year with Katie.

1. Ho Hey, Nashville Cast
2. Wake Me Up, Avicii
3. Next to Me, Emeli Sande
4. How Sweet It Is, James Taylor
5. A Life That's Good, Nashville Cast
6. Trouble Me, 10,000 Maniacs
7. Let It Go, Demi Lovato
8. Peaceful Easy Feeling, Eagles
9. Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars
10. Wish you Were Here, Pink Floyd

Caleb Goes Green (Movie)

Super Bowl All Nighter

The Super Bowl starts at 1:30 am Monday morning in Cairo. I discovered last year that this circumstance is an awesome opportunity to impart NFL culture to my children. For better or worse, I am almost as eager to pass on a legacy of enjoying American football as I am to pass on the legacy of my religious faith. Indeed, football is practically a religion. Some might say you could remove "practically" from that sentence. I digress.

Staying up all night, to my kids, is just about the coolest thing they can imagine. So if I let them stay up all night, one time per year, to watch the Super Bowl A) they will watch the Super Bowl, 2) they will think the Super Bowl is awesome, and b) they will think I am awesome. There was a subtle homage to Home Alone right there, for those who care.

We went to a friend's house to watch via their Slingbox so we could enjoy the commercials. We only have Armed Forces Network on which the commercials consist of PSAs reminding soldiers that sexual assault during motor pool is not appropriate, which was news to me.

Caleb was cheering for the Broncos. About two minutes into the second quarter he said, "Did I mention that actually, secretly, I was really cheering for the Seahawks all along?"

I did not take Henry to the party. He slept through the night. This was per Katie's request. So when he awoke to discover the game and party were over, he was mad. I entertained the idea of taking one for the team, for about three seconds, then I realized my great opportunity to enhance my status vis a vis Katie and also teach the importance of always telling the truth no matter what.

"Sorry, buddy. That was mom's idea. I wanted to wake you up, but she said no." Broncos lost. Dad won.