This Reminds Me

Hey hey, we’re the Monkeys

People say we monkey around

We’re too busy SHOOTING

To put anybody down!

The Shearer Hills Monkeys won their play-off game tonight against Concordia Lutheran in heart-stopping, bench-jumping, back-slapping 18 – 16 overtime play.  As Coach Ray emailed tonight, “Was that a great game or what?!  Every single player did their part.  Every basket was a must have.  Every blocked shot, stolen pass and rebound contributed to a fantastic game.”

Count on Ass’t Coach Rachel for some artistic encouragement.

Julia loves that ball!  She especially loves to take it away from the other team.  She scored a basket tonight (oh yeah!)  We might have cheered just a little.

When Rachel first started playing church basketball five years ago, what I noticed was how team play cemented the friendships in her Sunday School class.  Ditto for Lois, and Hannah, and now Julia.  Church membership stretches across so much geography – the kids don’t live in the same neighborhoods, or go to the same schools.  Those friendships have been more important for Julia than they ever were for Rachel, Lois and Hannah.  When I hear her say, “Hey, Nikki” on Sunday morning, or get an invitation to Emily’s birthday party, or make the connection that Davis is Gwen’s little brother – my maternal heart goes pitter-patter.  Not POUND POUND POUND like it did at the game tonight.  But just a nice, slow pitter-patter….sort of like a round ball being dribbled down court by an eight-year-old.

The Monkeys are on to the championship game Saturday, and I’m disappointed we’ll miss.  We had a family activity planned months before the play-off schedule was ever published.  I hope the Monkeys win, but regardless -

You’re just trying to play friendly

Glad to watch you laugh and run

You’re the young generation

See you next season!