Outstanding Benchwarmer...Except for One Night!!

It is a blast to watch kids grow up.

I don't know about you, but for me there are times when I think that I know my child, and then something pops up in their life that just proves I'm still learning who they are as a person.  There have been many times throughout this year when I have felt this way with Lena.

Now, I am going to have to hide this post from Lena.  I don't want her to read it and get a big head!!  But, I am still going to write this post because I want to remember what a tremendous thing she did during her 7th grade year as a new student in Oak Hill schools.  So here goes...

Because of our jaunt overseas, Lena has not done much in the way of sports.  She has never complained about missing sports.  She has never pushed to be in sports.  We signed her up for Badmiton in France, and she seemed to half enjoy it.  I just figured she wasn't a sporty kind of kid.

But, then, we moved back to America.

And, then, we watched hours and hours and hours of the summer Olympics. :-)

I don't know which of those two things to blame (or give credit to), but being in American and being super charged up about American sports has yielded a great reaction in Lena.  Even though she had never played a sport before, she decided to try out for volleyball within the first 2 weeks of school this year.

I have to confess that I mourned the fact that 'maybe we moved back too late for Lena to get in' because sports switch from 'include everyone who wants to play' in elementary, to 'you have to try-out and make the team' in junior high.  But thankfully, for Lena, it has worked out alright.

Our 12 year old daughter declared, "I am going to try out for volleyball.  If I don't make the team, that is o.k.  But, I am going to go to try-outs and work really hard and try to prove to the coach that I can follow instructions.  And, I am going to have an awesome attitude, too.  Maybe they will give me a chance."

And that is exactly what she did.  She tried out for volleyball along with 20 other girls.  Only 12 were selected for the team, and Lena made the team!!!

As the season went on her love for volleyball grew right along with her skills.  But, that wasn't all.  Her desire to be a sporty gal was clearly solidified.

So, she decided to do it again in basketball.  Only, with basketball, the other girls had played for several years, but Lena had hardly ever dribbled a basketball before try-outs!  We took her to the IWU gym to show her basic shooting technique, but let's just say it wasn't enough to wow the Oak Hill basketball coaches.

Yet, she went to the grueling try-outs and worked hard and maintained a good attitude.

There were 12 girls competing for 10 spots on the team.

At the end of try-outs, the coach called each girl into a room one-by-one to let them know if they made the team.  (Can you imagine!  I heard there were dramatic tears from the ones who didn't make the team.)

The coach was honest with Lena.  She said she'd like to have Lena on the team, but she was clear that she couldn't play her in games this year.  She told Lena she'd give her a chance to practice and learn and then they could see what would happen over the course of the year.  Lena understood and said she'd still really like to be on the team, even if she never played in a real game.

And, so, my daughter with the awesome attitude and the determination to work hard has been the most outstanding bench-warmer for 7th grade girls basketball.  She has learned to be a fabulous cheerleader from the bench to this team.  And, she has learned that her place as a back-up, back-up player is important too, in it's own way.  There hasn't been a single hint of grumbling from this young lady.

But.....

Halfway through the season, the coach started putting Lena in at the end of the game if the team was winning by more than 20 points.  She has played for the last 2 minutes in perhaps five games this season.  Lena has been totally content with that.

But this is what has been so amazing with Lena's 7th grade girls basketball team...

There is no question Lena came into the season with the most to learn (and therefore, the worst player).  Yet, her teammates are her biggest fans - just like she is their biggest fan.  Each time she has been put in for the last 2 minutes of a game, all the girls on the bench have been chanting, "give the ball to Lena!"  They ALL wanted to see Lena make a basket in a game.  But, 2 minutes goes by really fast, and Lena hadn't been able to make a basket for most of the season.  Yet, who would have guessed that these girls would care so much about Lena!!  Who can predict the behavior of 7th grade girls?!?

Well, this past Wednesday night, the girls were playing a team that is truly just HORRIBLE at basketball.  By the end of the first quarter, they were more than 20 points ahead.

So...

The coach benched the great players and put 'guess who' into the game. Yes, LENA!  She got to play for three quarters of the game.  And, she made two baskets, scoring 4 points for her team.  Plus, she got fouled on a lay-up and shot two free throw shots (which she missed, but oh well).

But, most sadly, nobody from our family was there to see it!  Mark had to work late that night, and I took the boys to their programs at church.  We were so sad we were not there!

A part of me almost thinks it was better to have Lena tell it all to us rather than see it ourselves, because it was a total joy to hear her explain all that happened in great detail and excitement.  Plus, at the game Thursday night, we got to hear all the other parents talk about how well she did because they knew that we had missed seeing it ourselves.

I just marvel.

I marvel at Lena.

What a great thing she has done to just simply decide to try sports, even though she had never played before.  What a great life lesson that has been for her.

I am amazed that she figured out that she might be able to get on the team just by showing she can listen and obey the coach.    How did she figure this out at such a young age?  Awesome!

I am amazed that she understands that having a good attitude can get you places you never could go with a bad attitude.  What a fabulous life lesson this is too!

I am amazed that she has learned enough in one season of practices to be able to play in a game and do what she did!  She has had to learn over 20 different plays, among other things.  I'm shocked at how complicated basketball is, even at the 7th grade level.

Way to go Lena!!!!  You have done well and you have made us very proud!!!

I also marvel at this 7th grade girls basketball team.  They are truly a team.  The acceptance of one another and their encouragement of one another is breath-taking.  It has been wonderful to watch.  I told Lena, "You are very blessed to be on a team like this.  You have some amazing friends!"

One of her friends told her that she nearly cried when she saw Lena make her first basket.  Based on all that had happened in the other games, I asked Lena, "So, did the entire bench erupt in cheering when you made a basket?"  She said "Yes, it was pretty amazing, Mom!"

I can just see it.  These are Hollywood moments for a girl like Lena.

What a blessing.

So, now for some photos.  Lena is #40 in the blue.

Here's a photo of the whole team, along with coaches and managers after a tournament earlier this month.  Lena is back row on the right, with her arms crossed over her number.

Oh, and I finally got a photo of the girls through the window of the gym doors.  They are just finishing their practice here.  They gather in a circle and talk for a little bit and then pray at the end of every practice and game.  Is that not awesome or what?!?  (Lena is on the right in the purple shorts.)

So, basketball is ending soon.  If they win their game Monday, they play again.  If not, they are done for the year.  Each time they win, they earn the right to go on to the next game.   Either way, all will be done by next Saturday.

What will Lena do next? 

She has decided it is time to do sports she knows she is pretty good at already.  She's a decent swimmer, so she's going to swim for the 7th grade girls team next.  I am looking forward to how she will handle that.  Given what has happened in volleyball and basketball, I don't have a worry in the world.

After that, she is going to try out for track.  Turns out, her basketball coach also coaches the 7th grade girls track team.  She has been working on Lena the entire basketball season, telling her that she HAS to run track.  Lena is a good runner.  So, she is pretty pumped about running in track.

And, of course, the boys are about to sign up for baseball.  So, we are far from finished with our  hours on the bleachers!  And, we couldn't be more happy about that.

Go Pederson clan, go!!!