A better day coaching

After our 7- and 8-year-old basketball kids were pelted in their first game by a group of kids who looked closer to 9 and who played closer to 14, I was a little fearful that my first foray into coaching had been a mistake. More so for the kids than for myself.

We'd missed our weekly practice because of snow and frigid weather on the 14th, so we went in without proper knowledge. This led me to a vigorous practice on the 21st where I explained proper guarding techniques. Most of them understood in practice, but when they got in the game, it was more of the same bunching around whoever had the ball. But that's normal.

We'll work on defense again this week, and add a few offensive maneuvers to get them away from dribbling into the mass of bodies and losing the ball, either by having it stolen or because they throw up a lob pass in the middle of the pack.

All in all, I think we scored more baskets this week. I was busy trying to keep our benched players on the bench and watching the clock so I could do substitutions. I felt semi-victorious in the knowledge that most of our players on the court had a better idea of what they were doing.

So far, so good

Today was the first day back to school for kids in my son's elementary school. We're all proud to note that he made it through the day on the green light, and he was able to wake up on time without a lot of trouble. I was worried that his late nights staying up till 11 and 12 might give him a problem when school started back, but the night before the night before he zonkered out by 10:30, so that helped him get back on schedule.

SAHWAHD has seen schedules change drastically since the boy has been attending school. There's much more time to be at-home working, and less time to be at-home daddying. Just like when he started half-day prekindergarten, and when he potty-trained himself, Daddy feels a little less needed, a little less important in the life of this fellow who has changed his life. It felt good teaching him the year of kindergarten in half a year, and it felt super-good when he passed his Iowa tests with supersonic flying colors. I'm a little sad that he's kind of floating along scholastically now, but he's having fun learning how to work the system, and in the end, that's as important as learning how it's supposed to work.

I still maintain enough contact with him to let him know that there is a level of expectation above and beyond what the state has in mind. He knows that he can float or he can rise above; it's up to him. Right now, he chooses the path of least resistance to the computer games--unless somebody's there to chase him around. And after 10 laps around the house upstairs and down, I'm usually ready to sit down for some games myself. Hoping to build up to 20 laps by year's end.

So far, so good. :-)