I went to a girls JV high school basketball game yesterday.
The basketball was horrible.
When the girls weren't in a melee in the middle of the court, they were mostly just standing around.
Most of the passes were lobs.
Most of the free throws were air balls.
Dribbling was universally shoulder high.
One girl got mad and dramatically stomped off the court.
I loved it so much.
First of all, I just love the sport of basketball: it is good and true.
I remember walking into a college basketball game for the first time after my mission, and the smells and the sounds - like rubber soles squeaking on hardwood floors - made me well up.
I think this love is partly genetic (my dad played a year of college ball), partly because I spent time growing up in Indiana where basketball is like religion, and partly because I've seen the movie Hoosiers too many times.
Plus March Madness happens every year right around my birthday - there were actually Sweet 16 games on my 16th birthday.
Secondly, watching these girls brought back all sorts of memories of my fun and failed basketball career.
My dad always said that if we could dribble on the uneven stones in our backyard in France, we could dribble anywhere.
Then we moved to Indiana for my Sophomore year, and I was a bench-warmer for the 10th grade team.
I'll never forget the game that I finally got in, and then promptly missed three jump shots from the low block in a row - with my varsity-playing-crush looking on.
Then we moved to St. Louis where I transitioned to church ball, and became a rising star in the stake.
This was mostly due to my elbowing skills, which seemed to really entertain the Young Men.
I was heart-broken when we barely lost the stake championship game.
Many years later when I taught school in Harlem, I helped start a 6th and 7th grade girls team. It was a blast even though we lost every game.
Generally, people tend to love what they are good at, but my love for watching and participating in basketball transcends any lack of skill - the sport is just that compelling. So last night I stayed and watched the JV boys, the Varsity girls and the Varsity boys. Six hours of bball. A great night.
