Basketball Season

I've been to a few basketball games lately. Some have this guy as the star:





The others star this kid:


Brenden went to Itty Bitty Basketball for 2 weeks, 3 times a week. He was not put on the Phoenix Suns team, but was a Sacramento King. He did not know a single soul there. It was a little hard to get him to join the other screaming toddlers (only kids ages 3 & 4 were allowed to join), so a few times I had to peel him off my leg and sit on the bleachers with Kyleigh. At first, while the other kids were shooting the ball into the mini-hoops, he was looking the opposite direction, putting the ball on the ground and using his foot (which is illegal in basketball!) to kick it to the bleachers. I was worried what kind of 2 weeks this was going to be, but also very glad we signed him up for this so that he could used to the rules and organized play of a sport. By the end, this is what I was watching:

With a little bit of distracted, watching the girls on the side still happening:

Or going the next step and saddling right up next to them:


Or putting the ball on top of the cone instead of dribbling around the cones:

With some girls on his team, he somehow found himself next to them for a majority of the 'skills stations' they had each day:

Each session would start out with warm ups. Brenden was a big supporter of these.....just not much of a participant. (He's in the middle with the long sleeve blue shirt).

 Kyleigh was also a great supporter. She helped guard the audio/visual equipment Mom brought to record her big brother's first organized sport play.

After drills of catching, passing, dribbling, shooting, learning the rules, and scrimmage, they played duck duck goose.....and Brenden found a seat next to the cute girl of the group.

 Wrong girl is tagging him. Must be a one woman kind of guy.

His girl got tagged, left him, so he's sulking.  (I don't really know. Just making this stuff up. But he did seem to enjoy the lady company more than the actual sport itself. I guess that's ok, too. Just hope that the two are more separated next time and not done simultaneously).

 Playtime became story time:

He was usually helped by the coach of his team in all of the skills stations and play games. 

During scrimmage, Brenden got the ball and is shooting it on the left-hand side from behind the hoop. (And the kid in the white shirt in front of him is trying to take the ball away). 

 The two coaches intervened (since the only defense you're allowed to play is hold your hands up and not take the ball away), and restrained the kid who was playing legit defense.

 Brenden not happy with someone impeding him from his glory moment.

Yes! He made it! {Mom was smiling real big on the sideline}

Now the boys run back to the other hoop to stand with their arms in the air to play D. 

A few days later, Trent and I went to watch the #4 team in the nation play the # 9 team. San Diego State came to Provo....and I was so happy that I had bought tickets to this game earlier in anticipation for such a big game since it was sold out for days previous. (Students were camped outside since early Tuesday morning for the Wednesday night game) and became snowmen statues while waiting in line to ensure they got a seat.

Having Student Taught two of the players on the team (Brandon Davies and Kyle Collinsworth) and with a nationally recognized player (Jimmer Fredette), we rather enjoy our BYU Basketball games this year. We've been to the Home Opener, the Arizona game in Salt Lake at Energy Solutions arena, the Air Force game (b/c it was Family Day $1 ticket...not because of the stellar competition), this game-two top 10 teams competing, and because Steph and John had us for Christmas, we'll be going to the UNLV game on Saturday....can't wait!!!

 He scored 43 points that game. His 3rd time in 4 games scoring 40+ points. Not hard to see why he currently leads the nation in scoring when you watch him.

 Just ask the 30 NBA scouts we had at this game. When you have #4 playing #9 and the nations leading scorer in one place, you tend to gather alot of suit-wearing, binder-bearing gentlemen at a college hoops game. (There was a cluster of them in the bottom of the picture).

 Jimmer tends to draw alot of this:

But still manages to create enough space for himself to shoot. Coach Rose said that alot of his shots aren't deep or long, they're just open. He was referring to the 30 foot shots that Jimmer takes when he steps over the half court line. Yes they are open, and that's because as Deron Williams said, "As soon as he gets on the court (he's in range)."

This shot was found on the front page of Yahoo.

But I took this one:

With this many screaming people running at you, I'd be scared too. But, we had just beat the #4 team and by a good cushion. Everyone was a little excited. I'll admit, this game was more fun to watch than Itty Bitty ball. But I enjoy them both very much. It's Basketball season. And that's a good time in our house.





If you haven't had enough videos and highlights, here's one more of Jimmer's older brother's song he wrote and recorded for Jimmer...complete with old home videos of the budding star.