Coach

September 9, 2010

Nursing a blister on my left heel today.

I'd like to claim that I got it clocking a left-footed shot into the upper 90. Nope. Also negatory on breaking in new boots during my team roping trials. Nor is it a fire-walking injury.

Yesterday morning I put on my not-so-stylish Red Ball rubber boots before I took my morning stride around the lake with Pup 1 and Pup 2 (FYI--Pup 3 almost always sleeps in). I figured with the two-plus inches of rain on Tuesday, I would have to splash through some mess went I went off-road around the lake. I was wrong. All I encountered was firm ground. The thirsty ground had soaked it all up. Completely.

I wish I had straightened my sock and pulled it up tight before I started out. I will know better next time. Of course, some times the rains are so far apart, I forget such pledges.

The Tuesday rain did help in one aspect of my life. You may have noticed that I posted about our first tournament game last weekend, then never wrote another word. I have to say that my pride ran fairly shallow for the other two games, and not because we lost to some stiff competition. Rather, I had some disappointment about the way my team members treated each other when the pressure of the game ramped up. My mother taught me that if I didn't have something nice to say, I should say nothing at all. Thus, my silence on the subject.

Tuesday night, in lieu of practice, we had a team/parent/coaches meeting to get back on the maturity track. I do not want to give into the stereotype that 13 year-old-girls can't help it if they are mean to each other or disdainful of adults. I have a much higher opinion of them than that. We will see what happens going forward, but I am willing to bet that if we give them the tools to cope they will figure out a way to change their behavior. If not, I suppose they will need to find someone else to play for.