Gracie Grabs the Rebound! (with her head)

Today I was going to edit my story about Edd and I will eventually because it needs some cleaning up but for now I must tell you about my kids basketball game.

Charlies game was pretty much the norm for him as at age six he is an old veteran of games which end up pretty much the same. So I will not comment on it at this point. But Gracies game was no ordinary game because Gracie starred in it. It was her first official game with uniforms and refs and such. The teams consisted of 2nd grade boys and girls with skills ranging from those of pretty good little basketball players to children who wandered about in a daze thinking they had stepped into an unruly line for snacks. Gracy was more excited about the postgame snack than the game itself. She was extremely nervous about the game.

Once the game started and she began playing it was evident that she had spent much time around the basketball court. Her coach who was also the referee asigned her to guard an opposing kid who was larger than her and sported sideburns and a mustache. She did a fine job and shut him down, holding him to 27 points and 30 rebounds. Actually I think he scored like one baskeet but my point is her defense could use a little work. But she made up for it by guarding him on the offensive end of the court also. What that means for you non basketball types is that when her team had the ball and were trying to score she guarded the kid who was guarding her, which strategically took him out of the equasion. A brilliant display of gamesmanship if you ask me. So they stood face to face, or face to bellybutton, most of the game - a foot apart - with their arms out in defensive stance mode, waving their arms. Sometimes they jumped hysterically.

When a shot was fired up Gracie assumed elite rebounder positioning by crossing her arms over her head, ducking and closing her eyes. This did not go unnoticed by the crowd who showed their appreciation by shouting positive reinforcement statements and esteeme enhancing encouragement while laughing hysterically..She did get to touch the ball once when she was guarding her man beneath the basket where her mother was sitting- coachlike on a metal chair. She hollered "GRACIEGETBEETWEENYOURMANANDTHEBASKET! And Gracie lowered her arms- a mistake that sometimes tired boxers make before being KO'd. Someone shot the ball and sure enough the ball careened off the rim and bonked her right in the head. "COVER YOUR HEAD YOU FOOL! I shouted to no avail. I think it rung her bell because she kept holding her head but she was smiling- many a child in these games leaves bawling like a calf to the sidelines where they colapse in their mothers arms and sob but not Gracie, she stepped her game up to a new level to borrow a phrase that sportscasters blather about but nobody really knows exactly what it means.

Anyway the climax of the game was when the ball bounced off some kids knee and dribbled down the court of its own accord untill it came treacheraously close to Gracie who, assuming elite rebounding position, opened here eyes long enough to see the ball rolling by. Eerily there were no defenders within several feet of her so she picked up the ball and executed a textbook jumpshot and drained that baby. Nothing but net. Swish. The crowd erupeted in euphoria and praise and her mother and I looked at each other in jaw dropped disbelief. We were relieved and happy for our delicate little girl and she was excited, ready to make basketball a major part of her life. She didnt even act upset at the revelation that her coach did not bring snacks. Charlie gave her one of his cheese and crackers. He didn't care. He was in a sharing mood because he'd had a pretty good game himself ammassing 35 points and 45 rebounds.