Our thirteen year old daughter, Rose, attends a small Christian school in a Portland, Maine suburb. There are pros and cons to this educational choice, of course, but one of the pros is definitely the opportunity for all interested students to play in our sports program. Her school is in a small independent league, but it gives them the experience of competing, playing together as a team, and learning the basics of the games. This winter, Rose has been on the JV basketball team (grades 5 - 8). Rose played one other year in the past, and the JV team is co-ed.
The school also has a boys' and girls' varsity team, grades 8 - 12. On Friday, Rose, the only eighth grade girl on the JV team, was invited to join the girls' varsity team in their first game of the league play-offs. Honestly, it wasn't because of Rose's mad hoop skills (she's scored four points for the JV team this season). It seems that the girls' varsity team are 1 and 9 for the season, and are down to five players! Of course, she jumped at the chance to play in the big time.
Last week's Super Bowl win for the Patriots had nothing on this southern Maine, independent league game. Rose got in the game a few times in the first half. Her last time on the floor, her team got some momentum. They went from four points down to two ahead. Rose did not do any of the scoring (She is quick to point out that she got an assist), but the coach - herself a former seventh grade student of mine who is now 31 - didn't want to mess with success. Rose started the second half, and played the whole time. She was never so aggressive on the JV team, where it is easier to rely on the kids who a lot of basketball experience to carry them. Although she didn't score, Rose grabbed her share of rebounds, played solid defense, and was even called for a foul when she somehow turned a jump ball into a headlock on one of the other team's girls. She reminded me of her older sister, Naomi, who was a very aggressive player and captain and MVP of this same varsity team in both her Junior and Senior years.
In the end, we won the game 21- 20, and this team that won once in the regular season has moved to the next level of the play-offs. Rose has been invited to join them again, as the coach said, "She was the game changer. She earned it."
Yeah, she did.