Pass, Dribble, Shoot, Score!

Where have the past three weeks gone!? I haven't blogged in three weeks! Life hasn't been abundant with free moments lately, but things should slow down now that the kitchen is almost finished. That's another blog entry entirely.... I may get to that tonight. Or I may opt for a glass of Cabernet and some well-deserved rest. Hmmm...which do I choose?

On Saturday, the First Little Nguyen had his first basketball game. The experience was unreal! The blaring music, spunky cheerleaders and screaming "fans" in the stands made it seem more like an NBA tournament game than a Saturday morning meeting of two young Upward basketball teams. When he woke up on Saturday morning, I would venture to say the First Little Nguyen was excited to play in his first game. However, when he realized that he had his own personal cheering squad present at his first game, it startled him a bit. Aunt Suzy, Uncle John, Jenny, Don, Andrea, Kris and his littlest fan, Baby Noah, were all sitting front and center in the stands, along with Mommy, Dad and the Second Little Nguyen. What a way to usher in his inaugural basketball season! A lot of eyes were watching our Little Nguyen!

The event began with loud music and a blaring roll call of the players' names. The First Little Nguyen sprinted out onto the court, disguising a bashful little smirk. His pride was evident as were his nerves. After a the first few minutes, and figuring out which basket belonged to which team, the First Little Nguyen got down to the business of "staying with his man." To teach the players how to guard their opponents (and who to stick with!), the coaches place wristbands of matching colors on one player of each team. After some in-stand coaching ("Find your man! That's right!"), he settled down to the business of actually playing the game. Naturally, being his biggest supporters, we were cheering wildly for him, and that really interfered with our photographic duties, especially when he took posession of the ball. We managed to capture a few shots of him, but it was difficult to remain still, shoot pictures, and shout our praises!

We love Upward. The First Little Nguyen is really learning to play the game in true sportsman-like fashion. Competition is a good thing, but learning to be a polite competitor is neither easily grasped nor effectively taught in every organization. There is no scorekeeping in this league; everyone is a winner, and each team member's contributions are valued. The First Little Nguyen beamed with pride when Coach Sean awarded him a red star for Best Defense in the game, and that really warmed my heart. He was proud of his game, his team, and, most importantly, proud of himself.