We are going home. After a very physical game against a fast and athletic team out of Ohio, the Belles lost at the buzzer last night.
While these last few weeks in July can be exhilarating, they are more often exhausting and disappointing. By now, players are icing and taping injuries, hoping to hang on long enough to finish out the month, and they and their parents are spent -- emotionally, physically and financially.
Egos abound in these tournaments -- AAU coaches, college coaches, refs, players, parents -- but very few come out unscathed. Adults can (or should be able to) handle this, but it is heartbreaking to watch a teenager learn life lessons this way. This is especially true for the rising seniors, who view this as their last opportunity to be seen by coaches and possibly land a chance to play in college, and even better, get a full-ride to do so.
The pressure on these girls is palpable, and you wonder very often if it is all worth it. We've had this conversation in my house -- when you tell them that at some point everybody has to put the ball down and move on with their life-- but the response is always the same. "We just love to play," they say, so we soldier on. We'll head home today, rest tomorrow, then Haley's back on the plane on Sunday.
My silver lining: I'll get to beat the Friday afternoon DC traffic home.
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2 comments:
oh, that's such a bummer. of course you want to say to them, "You did your best" but it's no consolation to them...
So sad to hear they lost, but hopefully they'll cheer up soon. I do like that you see a "silver lining" in this. It is always important to look at the positives.
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