Basketball

Since the fall I have been coaching basketball at the YMCA. This was my first time on the other side of the line. Being a coach is so much different than being a player. I played basketball growing up as a child and all the way thru High School. After I got out of school, I did not pick up a basketball for years, until it came time for my daughter to play. The only way I could get my daughter to play was for me to coach. I wanted to coach her anyways. I wanted to be part of teaching her the correct fundamentals. When I stepped onto the floor for our first practice and held the basketball in my hands, I felt that sensation of I am home. I realized I really missed playing the sport.
Last night was our last game for the winter league. I am amazed at how much my team grew thru this season. I was impressed after every game. It was just not one player who would impress me, it was all of them. At the beginning of the season I had one player who was so tall that needed to start learning the correct form of how to shoot the basketball, then I had little ones who were struggling just to hit the rim shooting the ball. Oh did I mention I coached  coed 4-5 year olds? By the end of the last game. Everyone on my team had hit a basket. The one child I was working with on form actually shot the correct way and hit it. I felt a big achievement watching them play their last game.
Coaching a ball team is so much work. You not only have to prove yourself to your team that you know the game, you have to prove yourself to the parents too. I learned you not going to please every parent. Parents are going to be critical no matter who coach's their child.  I tried my best to be fair to all the players. I will admit I had to be a little bit rougher on my child. Because I did not want someone to say I had favoritism going on. I even went as far as routing my players. If they started the game the next game they would sit out the first quarter.
I hope I was able to instill a few basic fundamentals to all of my players and hope I helped them find love for the sport. On the the last night I had the bakery make something very special for each team member. I wanted to make basketball cake pops, but my cake pop machine was not working correctly, so I paid the bakery prices for sugar cookies. I called and got quotes and I found the cheapest price was at the Kroger Bakery. I was shocked they actually took the order. The price $4.99 for a dozen of basketball shaped sugar cookies.

Don't that cookie look so good to eat? If you ever get the chance to coach a team. I would totally recommend it.

Have you ever coached a team? I would love to hear how your experience went with it.

Don't forget the Nifty Thrifty family is now offering advertising. Please email me if you would like. Just think your ad could placed at the end of this post, on the side bar of the Nifty Thrifty Family Blog.