Basketball Sign Ups today

Today was basketball sign ups. We look forward to basketball every year (it's a short season with little pressure and lots of fun). I was always that tall girl in school who never learned to play basketball. Isabella and Sophia being the tallest girls in their grade levels makes me want to at least introduce the game to them just so they have it in their skill set later in life.

Both girls are starting their 4th seasons this Fall. Sophia actually started when she was 4 and in preschool (and has always played up at least one level. In Kindergarten she played up 2 levels). This year is actually the first year that she will play her level. Her 3rd season of second grade ball while she's actually in second grade.

I was unsure of what to do this year. If you recall last year we had issues (http://livingintheubaydifamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/oh-no-she-didnt.html) and I was nervous again. Part of me wanted to have her play up again so that she could move to 3rd and 4th grade ball, which is all girl teams. But, part of me wants to let her play on her level with kids of her level so that she can excel at it instead of always trying to catch up with the older kids. I asked her how she felt and she was torn too. All girls sounds great to her, but 2nd grade was were she ultimately decided what she'd like to do.

So, we went to registration tonight and my eyes lit up when the clinic commissioner asked me if I'd like to make any requests for Sophia's team. What?! Um, I bent really close to the table. Like what kind of request? She said, Coaches you'd like her to have? I gave a sideways glance and she said OR, coaches you don't want her to have. Quick! Here's my opportunity. I said, well I'd like her to never have the coach she had last season. It was very stressful for all of us involved and she was very rude (I know these coaches are volunteers but really there's a code of conduct). I'd also like you to know that 2nd grade boys are very aggressive and 2nd grade girls, even if they play basketball well, aren't always aggressive and coaches should be better trained if they're going to coach the co-ed teams. She completely understood what I was saying and wrote down last year's coaches name.

Finally, I feel a little vindicated for Sophia. I'm looking forward to an awesome basketball season for both girls this year.