I got to brag a little!

What a weekend! I coach a 4th grade girls basketball team. I have coached 7 of the 10 since they were in the second grade. Four of the ten girls have known each other since birth. Those same four go to church together. We played in a tournament last weekend and lost to the eventual two teams in the finals. This weekend was another story. The girls won the tournament!!! They played 5 games this weekend. We lost our third game to a team from Clovis 20-5. Ugly score, ugly game. We had to win our next game to reach the final and get a rematch. The girls played a very good game and won the championship game 20-18. Now, understand, I have seen alot of basketball in my day. Played my fair share as well. I couldn't be more proud of these girls. They showed determination, heart, and desire like I haven't seen in a long time. It was so awesome to see them perform and achieve their goal. It is really satisfying to watch these little 9 and 10 year olds do the things on the floor we have been teaching them. It was a huge confidence builder for them. For me as well. They were so excited, jumping around, hugging each other, hugging their moms and dads. What a wonderful feeling it was. Our little team has had our share of serious beat downs, true confidence crushers. Been tested and bombed out big time. The kind of stuff that really tests your metal. But the girls have stuck together and continued to play hard. It was a great moment for them, and I am so happy to have been there. I could tie all this in to a deep thought of how it compares to our walk in Christ, how our goal to get to heaven is met with adversity along the way. That just because we achieve a moment of jubilation, doesn't mean it will always be that way. How we have to always continue to improve, because life won't stop challenging us. But I will not do that, I'll just leave you with a coach who is doing nothing but bragging on his team. These little girls are so much fun to coach. The really neat thing is getting to coach my own daughter. But in a way I feel like they are all my little girls. It was an awesome weekend. But, win or lose, they always make me proud to be their coach.