The end...

Is always bittersweet.

The youth basketball league started the season without me at the helm. I'd love to say it was a hard decision to make, but it wasn't. Why? Partly because I'm still a tiny bit involved...come on, you knew I couldn't cut the cord entirely, right? Nah, I gave up the part that no one wants and am now VP on the BB board, I like it. I still get a say in some of the decisions about one of the most important things to J, and that makes me happy.

I always knew that once the girls were out of grade school, out of the youth league, J was going to move on to Jr High, either coaching or just cheering his crazy head off. He was going to follow his girls. So, the decision to hand over the league was much easier to do rather than to hang on to something I knew we'd be done with.

Running the youth league with J was both amazing and frustrating and also a great cause of conflict in our marriage. Every basketball season it was the same, he coached and I took care of the headaches. Running any kind of anything is a thankless job and almost always turns in to a hated job. Not for J...no because he didn't have to deal with the angry parents, I was the peace keeper, he was the star ;) Well, kind of. I'll tell you this, he was an overachiever in all things youth basketball, outside of that, not a whole lot mattered.

So, with my handing this last thing over, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who have been there from the beginning helping, listening, coaching, volunteering at the tournaments, the parents who drove their children to and from practices and games, the children who signed up, the HS coaches and anyone else who just lent a hand when needed ESPECIALLY in the last couple of years without J. The basketball league wouldn't be half as successful without ALL of you.

We had a good run. The first boys team J coached are graduated from HS and in their 20's, the first boys team J coached when we took over the league are Jr's in HS. When the girls hit 3rd grade he made the move to coaching the girls teams (sometimes 3 or 4 at a time), much to my nephews disappointment :)

J would have been so proud of where the youth league is and what we've been able to accomplish. His dream was to provide basketball for the youth of our community, the future of I35..I think we've done ok in his absence.

I'd also like to give a shout out and thank the brave peeps that volunteered to step in and take over. My only advice would be, good luck and you've got my number :)

Thanks for checking in.
L