Friday and Saturday were action packed days in the wide world of sports for my son. Friday would be his final cross country meet of the year; Saturday would be the semifinals/finals of the 3v3 basketball tournament. Round and round we go…
Friday was the 3rd and final meet of the CC season. My son missed the first two meets due to his walking pneumonia; finally, he was ready to make his debut. I wouldn’t say he was quite at 100%, but close enough to make it through the 1.5 mile race. We did our pre-race walk around the track when we got there; we agreed a top 10 finish would be deemed a success. Last week, the varsity boys won 3rd place overall in the meet; I figured with my son added to the mix this week, they would get bumped up to 2nd. Let’s go.
I love how the race begins; all the kids bunched together, sprinting out… have to pace yourself though. One of the dads asked if I could do this race; I told him I think I could… not sure how fast I would be, but… I walk a lot… haha. As the pack settled in a few seconds into the race, my son was with the 2nd group. As in years past, there was one kid that just separated himself from everyone else, easing to a 1st place finish; it wasn’t the same kid as the last couple years, but he was just as good. My son’s teammate had finished 2nd and 3rd in the first two meets; he was able to do it again… 3rd place in this one. As they came down the homestretch, my son was in 5th position; usually, this is where he’ll make a run, but… you could tell he was gassed… some other kids made a run this time to pass him up, but 8th place ain’t too bad for his only meet of the year coming off being sick; he made his goal! As for the team, well… they did get bumped up from 3rd… to 1st place!!! Yes, an overall first place finish for the varsity boys; the JV boys did the same. It was great to see the boys celebrate; one of the kids lifted my son in the air with the trophy. A not too shabby start to the weekend…
The 3v3 tourney was next. The semifinals proved to be an easy match for the boys, maybe too easy. They were winning so easily, they started getting sloppy… chucking up shots from anywhere, not playing their best. Still, they got the W and advanced to the finals for the 2nd straight year. Last year, they lost to finish in 2nd place; this year they had hoped to avoid that repeat, but… it wasn’t meant to be. I would say our boys and this other team were very evenly matched, but… our boys couldn’t buy a bucket; my son was ice cold. Still, they hung in there, and trailing by 1 point late in the game, my son, who hadn’t made a shot all game, came up firing for the lead… it wasn’t meant to be this time. I told him I liked the confidence he showed to still take the big shot with the game on the line after struggling the entire time; we can certainly debate the shot selection, but stepping up and taking the shot… I like that in him. The boys were disappointed, understandably so. Sounds like they all walked to the bathroom together after the game to release their frustrations… nothing was damaged in the bathroom… haha. Yeah, 2nd place is still pretty damn good, but I know they wanted more. They will get their chance; basketball practice for their school season starts this week.
Ah, the highs and lows of this thing; it can be related to all of life. Enjoy the highs, get through and learn from the lows. As one season ends, another begins…and another, and another… this ride doesn’t stop; I wouldn’t want it any other way. First basketball game of the season in 2 weeks. Let’s do this!
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