Basketball is a new experience for Madison this year. She could have played last year with the rec league, but she didn’t show any interest. She decided this was her year to try it out. Basketball is a tricky sport. I think most people can figure out how to shoot a ball, but there is a lot more involved. You have offensive plays to learn. You have man-to-man and zone defense to figure out how to both play and play against. You have inbound plays to learn at different parts of the court. You need to learn how to dribble, pick, post up, defensive stance, and more.
The team is ready:
Her team started a bit rough – kinda like the clumped up mess we would see in soccer at the beginning stages. Madison started pretty nervous and hesitant. While they haven’t won a game yet, we have seen a lot of improvement, which is pretty cool. They have run a play or two successfully. They have tried shooting – sometimes more successfully than other times. Madison has tried taking the ball down as the point guard, throwing the ball in for inbounds plays, and even shot a time or two. It is so fun to watch! The gym is an old school, dark, sunken adventure; so pictures are dark and grainy.
Another neat thing that the Dalton girls’ basketball team did was allow the girls to come play at halftime of their game. Madison was SO EXCITED! (I don’t think the all caps can really embody the level of excitement she was feeling!) She had about 3 minutes of playing on the big court, with the bright lights, and a big crowd. She had fun, dribbled down the court, and even shot the ball once.
We all cheer her on. While Ellie may not love every game, she is a big supporter when she wears the her sister’s button with pride.
