:)

Just as football season is coming to an end with the playoffs and the superbowl, basketball starts to get crazy-busy...especially when two coaches live in the same house.

I am the junior varsity girls' basketball coach and I do double as the asssistant girls' varsity coach. We have 2 games during the week + practices and I am running a little hoopsters program for the little girls in the community.

This season has been particularly tough. My girls (JV) have not won a game yet. The varsity has won one game--and the Fresno Bee thought it appropriate to take a couple of shots at them in the newspaper. I would like the Bee to know...I take that personally. I have given up so many hours with these girls (and they have given up a lot of hours too), but right now-it's just one of those seasons. We have no seniors on the team and the girls had no summer program. How is it ever appropriate to take shots at a group of girls who during the season are coming into the gym and doing the best they can--when there are so many kids who choose to not play--to sit on their asses because working out and practicing is too hard. But, go ahead, take your shots at 15 and 16 year old girls. I wonder why I don't subscribe to the Bee.--Since Joe'l is helping with the varsity--I attend those games too, and have become the teams statistician. I really enjoy the different aspect of the game. It has forced me to pay attention to the game in a way I haven't before. And--I really enjoy watching Joe'l on the bench. He looks really natural there. I think it's something he will continue doing.

Mads is playing, too. I am trying to either get her on an AAU team or start an AAU team for her. She's really starting to take to basketball and she is good, but in her age bracket where she is there is little competition. Plus, AAU is how kids get recognized for colleges and the Junior Olympics.:)