Without the Ball

Alex came back from basketball practice last Thursday with two stapled pages in his hands. He said, "These are our big plays, "Huskie" and "Wheel". I'm the center, I have to study the "Wheel" because I get to pick two guys."

Every night since that practice he would finish his schoolwork and then get out his two plays and review them. Sometimes I'd see him downstairs practicing how he would start on "Huskie" and where to stand for the "Wheel". He didn't even get embarrassed when I walked into the middle of his practice. He said, "Coach Dennis said it is important that we know what to do without the ball."

On game day he woke up at 7am, we showed up at the gym an hour and a half early and watched his friend Michael play. Alex couldn't wait to get out there. When he did, he played just about the entire game with his head up and in position. He scored his first basket of the season after getting an offensive rebound, because he knew where he had to be...

...without the ball.

God bless you my son. It is a privilege watching you learn and grow and take responsibility for things. You are a great kid, a good teammate and hopefully you are becoming a man who knows where and how he has to be.