Well Begun Is Half Done

It's 7 weeks into the season. There's under 2 minutes left in the game. It's 4th and 4. Your opponent has the ball on their 40 yard line. Your team is up by a touchdown. A stop here puts the ball back into the hands of your offense. They can run out the clock and keep your hopes of an Area Championship alive.

You're tired. Dirty. Sweaty. The ankle you tweaked back in game 2 is trying to bother you again. Your legs want to cramp up. Your knees want to buckle. But, you come to the line. You look your opponent in the eye knowing that if they're going to get those 4 yards, they're going to have to come through you first. You're not about to let that happen. Neither is anyone else wearing the same jersey as you. Not on this or any other night...

The time to find out if you've really got anything left isn't when the ball is snapped. No, it's far too late for that. And, you can't just decide to dig deep and find a little more toughness. It doesn't work like that. You can't just find it. It has to be there already. And, you have to know it. You have no time to doubt or hesitate.

You come to that line and you make the play. Not because you "want it" more than the other guy, but because you're stronger, better conditioned, and more prepared than he is. And you didn't get that way during the last timeout or even the last week of practice. It happened in the summer.

We think of football as a fall sport. But every player, coach, and member of their families know that the work begins in the summer. It was something that took some getting used to for me. I didn't understand why so much time had to be spent in the weight room, at camps, etc. I mean, it's Summer!!

But, I've come to appreciate how important it really is. Games are won and lost in the weight room. Those players are going to batter and bruise their bodies for 10-15 weeks straight. They have to be in the best physical condition possible. They will face opponents who are bigger and faster than they are. There's little they can do about their size and speed, but they can make sure that the other guy isn't stronger. They can make sure no one out works them.

So, they show up. Three or 4 times a week. Even though it's WORK. Even though they'd rather be at the beach or the movies or at home in bed or playing a sport that doesn't demand so much of them. And they do it because they "want it" more. Because there's nothing else like it. Because when that ball is snapped and that other team's QB gets popped before he can even make the hand off to the tailback...they get to be heroes.

Summer workouts do more than make champions. It separates the men from the boys. It reveals those who have in them what it takes to be successful. In football. And in anything else they want to accomplish. Because the ones who make it though summer know they have what it takes to make one more play, to fight though adversity, to get everything they can out of themselves. Not every one has that in them.

The coaches know that. That's why they give up their summers and push the guys so hard. They know it makes them better, more successful later. They're giving them every chance they can.

So, the next time you watch your hometown heroes play on Friday night, remember what all they've done for themselves, they're school, and their communities. That ought to make you proud. I know I'm proud of Coach's Bulldogs for the work they've done. I can't wait to see it pay off for them.

Making a Splash

It was about this time last year when Devin came to me and asked about joining a competitive swim team. Like any supportive parent, I jumped in with both feet. And, as you can tell from my lack of posts, it has kept us busy. Since swim season is over, I thought I'd recap the experience.

It really has been a great experience. Devin has improved as a swimmer and learned a lot about himself. The goal for beginning swimmers is to improve their personal bests each time they compete in an event. And Devin did that each meet. I got to watch him work hard at practice and see it pay off in competition. I was so proud of him. I saw him go from a first heat swimmer to a final heat swimmer in only 10 months. I got to see him win a few heats, which was priceless. I could go on and on. Yes, I'm a proud mom.

Devin learned a lot through his hard work. He also learned through his failures. Things didn't always go swimmingly, but he bounced back. The season got long, but he hung in there. The meets start early in the morning, but he never complained. He had to give up his free time, but he stayed dedicated.

One of his greatest accomplishments came this summer. He was moved to a new group with a new coach. Practices got longer, more frequent, and harder. He was swimming in crowded lanes with kids who were stronger and faster than he is. Swimming stopped being fun. He wanted to quit. But, he didn't. The going got tough, so he got going.

I remember watching him at practice one day. He had to swim as hard as he could just to keep the other swimmers from running over him. I almost felt sorry for him. But, I knew the thing he didn't know yet. I've seen him in this situation before, where he's the youngest or smallest on the team having to work twice as hard. And I knew it would only make him better. He saw it too when his team hosted the Carrollton Invitational a few weeks ago. He smashed his best times in each of the 7 events he swam over the 2 days.

Devin was once again reminded of what happens when we push ourselves, when we don't allow a fear of failure to keep us from trying. It's one reason why I'm such a champion of sports. The lessons they teach will last a lifetime. I hope this is a lesson that stays with him.

The Rule of Three

I've heard my daddy say it a hundred times. "It's hard to beat the same team twice."

And he's right. I've seen it over and over again in football games. And the same concept applies to basketball. I call it the Rule of 3.

In basketball, teams typically face each other twice during the regular season, trading home and away. Then, the season ends with an area tournament where teams will meet for a third time. By then, everyone knows what to expect from the other team on the floor. You're familiar, you're ready, and sometimes, you're looking for revenge.

Ranburne's 2012-2013 basketball season has been hit and miss. At times, the boys in purple and white look like stars. Other times, they reveal their youth. Without a Senior on the team, the Dawgs have relied heavily on 14 and 15 year-olds. Which is nothing new. These guys have been the Varsity team for a while. So, what looked like a mediocre-at-best 7 wins entering the area tournment takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that it's double the win total for the past 3 seasons.

Coach had his work cut out for him, but he's had some great tools to work with. The 12 guys that fill Ranburne's roster are some of the best. They work hard, and what's more...they actually love basketball.

They had to love it not to quit after the first week of Bailey-style practice. They didn't quit. They ran and sweated and sucked wind and ran some more. And they did it with smiles on their faces. You couldn't ask for more effort or better attitudes. Even if they weren't winning every game.

Winning every game, they weren't. They seemed to be trying to invent new ways to lose, like blowing a 26 point lead over Ohatchee at home. The Indians beat them again at their place. Both times, I was sure ours was the better team. And the Dawgs were going to get a chance to prove it at the area tournament.

The tournament braket had the 1 seed Pleasant Valley facing Woodland, who earned the 4 seed by virtue of a play in game with Wellborn. Ohatchee and Ranburne would play the 2/3 matchup. So, everyone headed to PV last Friday night to watch the Rule of 3 play out like clockwork.

Ohatchee took a lead in the first half of game one, but it wouldn't be enough. The Dawgs had learned their lesson and shut down the Indians' duel 3-point shooters. They tried cover our scoring leaders as well, but ours isn't a two-man team. Ranburne did their job and put OHS out of the tourney.

Then it was time for PV, with their 8-0 area record, to take on Woodland, with only 4 wins all season. But, basketball is a funny game. It's all about matchups. Ranburne beat Woodland by 30+ and 15+. PV beat Ranburne by 20+ both tines. But, Woodland played PV closer than any area team had all season, taking them to overtime once. So, it came as no surprise when 4-win Woodland came out 8 points better than the Senior-laden Raiders.

And, because truth is stranger than fiction, Ranburne would face Woodland for the Area Championship. Got to love irony.

Except, I didn't love it. I hadn't considered the possibility of playing them again. Nor did I want to. That whole Rule of 3 thing again.

The Dawgs had seen the trend and had been warned that they'd be in a dog fight. Even so, Woodland took a 7-point lead in at the half. If it were still the first half of the season, that might've been enough to get our young bunch rattled, make them force shots, get them frustrated and then panicked. But, sometime over the last three months, these guys had grown up some and had learned to win.

The Dawgs took control in the second half. The game remained close, but you could tell by the body language of the players which team was chasing. We played calm and smart and aggressive. Every player made his contribution. Each one equally significant. An entire team playing unselfishly. It was, indeed, a dog fight, and the Cats didn't really stand a chance. And, at night's end, the area championship belonged to the Bulldogs.

For every rule, there are exceptions. Coach's team has been described as consistently inconsistent. And it's true, they've looked like a hot mess at times. But when it truly mattered, they were exceptional.

Congratulations to Coach on his first ever basketball area championship and to the 12 exceptional young men on his team.

Pink Wigs and Mud Pits

When I signed up for the Warrior Dash back in August, I had no idea what life had in store for me. I guess it decided that if it were obstacles I wanted, it was obstacles I was going to get. So, by the time I joined the 499 other brave souls at the starting line that day, the 3.2 miles and 14 obstacles that lay ahead of me didn't seem like much.

I decided to tackle this event as a challenge. I haven't pushed myself physically since the days of college cheerleading, and I just wanted to see if I could do it. Throughout my two months of training, I had one goal: finish. I knew it wouldn't be pretty. I wasn't trying to beat anyone. I had nothing to prove to anyone other than myself. And I was ready.

I didn't really know what to expect as I rode to Warrior, Alabama, on October 6th. But, I knew that whatever it was wouldn't defeat me. And after 50 minutes of battling mud and freezing cold water and barbed wire and temperatures in the 40s, I saw what I needed to see. I'm tougher than I look. In fact, it was more fun than anything. I wasn't even out of breath as I crossed that finish line. I was, however, covered...I mean COVERED in mud. It's like someone replaced my clothes with mud. And my hair. And my skin. But, I'd finished. And I didn't beak anything but a sweat and a fingernail.
The second obstacle of the day was an alternating series of mud ponds and mud hills that we had to maneuver through. It was the hardest one to me. It was impossible to get a foothold and the water was super cold. A random guy stood at the top of one of the mounds, offering to help others up. I didn't accept his help. I was being a beast. Two mounds later, I wish he'd been there, but I finally got over the top. It was great to see someone so willing to sacrifice to help others who were struggling. His finish time will hardly reflect what he did that day. In a world where most people see someone struggle and sprint to the front of the line to be the first to throw stones at them, the kind, Super Mario-dressed stranger inspired me. Thanks, whoever you are. It was amazing to see how perfect strangers helped each other out and cheered each other on. It was a great experience. It renewed a little of my faith in people. And thank goodness. I've had to think about those mud-plastered strangers a time or two lately, as a reminder that there are some good people out there.

The Warrior Dash was awesome. So much fun. But, the obstacle courses in life aren't often as enjoyable. Still, the goal is the same. Finish. You'd like to do it with as much dignity and grace as possible. But sometimes, you've just got to put on a pink wig and army crawl through 12 inches of muddy water. And, you can't worry about what everyone, or anyone for that matter, thinks. In the end, it's your life. The people who want to see you fail, who delight in your trials, who kick you while you're down, they don't matter anyway. They're pathetic. But, there are a few people waiting for you at the finish line, encouraging you along the way. Those people matter.

Which one would you be? When someone is going through a hard time, are you secretly rejoicing in their failures, encouraging them and cheering them on from the finish line, or are you Super Mario offering them a helping hand? I don't know about you, but I'm going to invest in a pair of blue overalls and a red hat.

First Meet Mishaps

I was so excited and nervous about Devin's first swim meet. He had 8 real practices prior to this first meet, so I wasn't expecting to see a Michael Phelps-like performance. I really just wanted him to enjoy it.

We arrived at Ft. McClellan at 7:45 am and waited for war ups to begin. Swim meets are unlike anything I've ever been a part of. Keeping track of event numbers and lane assignments is a little stressful. Fortunately, I had Coach there to help. He doesn't get rattled like I do. I paid the 5 bucks for the "heat sheet" and highlighted Devin's entries. Then I wrote them on his arm with a Sharpie, because that's apparently what you do. Each swimmer sports his event number, event, heat number, and lane assignment in a grid on his body somewhere. It helps the swimmer keep track of when they swim.

Devin seemed to be taking it all in stride. He admitted that he was nervous, though. Then, warmups began. I anxiously waited to see him dive off the block. He had about 4 previous attempts at practice ever. I couldn't help but smile when I saw him looking better and more confident than ever off the block.

The meet began, and we waited for Devin's first swim which wasn't until event 14. We waited a while. Then Coach took him to the bullpen, the area where they line up swimmers whose events are happening soon. Devin marches out to the pool with the others in his heat and sets up behind lane 5. The announcer calls for the swimmers to approach the blocks. He instructs them to take their marks. The buzzer sounds. Devin dives in - and it was the best dive I've ever seen him do. I see his tiny body gliding through the water. He surfaces, about to take his first strokes, when I realize...something's wrong. His goggles had slid down as he dove in. They were loosely draped around his neck. He finished the race last in his heat. The water in his eyes bothered him and slowed him considerably. But he'd finished.

My Devin is a perfectionist. And, as he made his way back to our seat in the stands, the disappointment on his face was obvious. Poor little guy. He sat down beside me and choked on some tears. Time to put on my momma hat.

I let him talk about what happened. He was upset. I knew he wanted to disappear, but he had three races left. It was time that he start learning some of the lessons that sports can teach us. I explained to him that, sometimes, things go wrong. It happens to EVERYONE. I wanted him to understand that it's not our mistakes that define us; it's our response to them. I asked him what he'd learned from the experience. He answered, "Not to let my goggles come off." He was being stubborn. :-) Eventually, he began to see that he did the right thing. I was super proud of him. Some kids would've stopped swimming. Not Devin. Did the race turn out as he'd hoped? No. But, did he do the best he could under the given circumstances? Absolutely. Who could ask for more than that?

He was still bothered, so we left the pool to get lunch. I thought some fresh air might help. Coach talked with him about not letting one 'loss' keep him from giving his all in the next event. Together, we got the message across. Crap happens. Learn from it and let it motivate you to make the most of your next opportunity. Don't let it defeat you.

He had an oppertunity to swim the same stroke and distance as part of the 200 free relay later in the day. This time, the goggles stayed on, and Devin was all smiles. Maybe he learned something about himself today. Perhaps we can all learn something from him.

Crap happens. And, life can be really tough. When you get knocked down in life, though, you're probably not going to find too many cheerleaders waiting to help you get back in the game. Instead, you'll find out that there are some really miserable people who get to feel better about themselves by rejoicing in your trials. People will gossip, lie, and bad-mouth you at every turn. But, it doesn't matter. You've got another race to swim.