Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

#4 posting 4.1.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

Seashells & Balloons writes another gem today about the end of the high school season. I have also linked all the S&B writings. Go to the link on the right under instruction/tips/guest blogger. Take it away Seashells & Balloons

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

I intentionally stayed out of your lives the last couple of weeks. While we have heard a lot about all the tournament winners, the all-star teams and the clutch performances, I know that for the most part, a lot of you reading this were watching from the sidelines. And you were probably grieving the end of the season in your own way. Replaying shots that could have been made, steals that might have happened, and fouls that should have been avoided.
Wondering why some of the best teams in the state were sitting based on the assembly of a section. That’s okay. I was doing the same. We all had high hopes for the season, and the best possible way to let those high points shine through the clutter is to live through the bad just one more time.

Because it’s the bad that makes you appreciate the good even more. It’s the missed free throws that make you want to get back in the gym right away. An errant three-pointer at the buzzer is the precursor to 500 of those same shots taken every day in the summer. Looking back at the bad makes moving forward even more sweet. So I give you gentle permission to look back in anger once more. Okay, now you’re done.

Remember when we pledged together to have a great season? It was. We saw some incredible teams do some amazing things. I know from my viewpoint alone, I was able to visit as many concession stands as possible (remember that during those summer training runs) and when my favorite team wasn’t scheduled, I stepped outside of my comfort zone to visit some new gyms, see some competitive small-town games, and just drink in the fun of not knowing anything about either lineup. I was reminded time and time again why high school basketball is ten times better than AAU. The coaching is top-notch, the teams are loyal and unselfish, and the number of college logo polo shirts and clipboards in the stands is way down. The holiday tournaments especially showed some key matchups that foreshadowed big games later in the year. But time and time again my memory comes back to the little things. A pair of grandparents smiling and not caring what the score was, just that they could sit with their own adult kids, and cheer on their granddaughter. The traditions of every team coming out of the huddle.
A cheerleader getting scared by a mascot. A stirring version of the national anthem and a little boy holding his hand over his heart. And my kid making me proud time and time again. In times of victory and especially in times of loss. Like I said, it was a great season, full of lasting memories, great and small. And now the off-season begins, and the improvement starts.

Oh, I’ll be at the AAU games this summer too. It’s like trying to avoid watching a house fire. My kid and her friends will be part of the games, and I want to be there for support. But between you and me, my heart’s really not in it. There will be lots of hopes and dreams from both the players and the parents, and I hope there is an equal dose of reality mixed in. And I also hope that the coaches take special care of the athletes under their watch. The stakes seem to be higher every year, and the number of exposure events and showcases pop up quicker than the dandelions in my soon-to-be-green yard. Let’s tread carefully and cautiously and enjoy the ride.

But most of all, the summer is all about preparation. It’s about remembering what you did right, and what you want to do better. To channel all the frustrations that landed at the end of the season into renewed energy for next year.

And so, let’s get back to our friend Dylan Thomas. He may have said “ Do not go gentle”, and even more emphatically, “rage, rage against the dying of the light”. But I will not rage about the season anymore. I’m going to put that energy into pulling out those yellow-headed weeds in my yard, working off that extra bag of popcorn and spending some extra time with my kid NOT talking basketball. She’s already working on things in the gym. And we’ve got enough time for that next year.

Seashells and Balloons

Thanks again. Seashells & Balloons.

Next up: The All Iowa Attack 17 vs Iowa Lightning Scarlet Jr. Eligible quarterfinals.