Basketball

Matthew is playing basketball at the YMCA this year.   This is the first time he's played on a team.  He's super excited.  He just had his first game last Saturday and they did pretty good.  He is on a 6 and under team and they don't keep score, have fouls or get too particular about things like double dribbling or traveling.  They will call it if you are just blatantly running around without dribbling, but they give the ball back to that team after a reminder that you have to dribble.  It's good for their age group.  Here are a few pictures from Matthew's basketball exploits thus far.

Matthew taking some practice shots.  There is a wide range of abilities on his team.  Some kids can't dribble at all and some can do legitimate lay ups.  Matthew is somewhere in the middle.

Here he is taking a shot.  He actually made quite a few of them.

Good job Matthew

 

And here he is playing with the ball while he was supposed to be listening to the coach.  Our coach is really nice and earnest.  He asked the kids to come up with some team name suggestions.  Matthew asked me what some good team names would be.  I suggested they could either name it after an animal, like The Tigers, or after a Pro Basketball team.  He didn't know what a pro team name was so I offered up The Lakers.  He gave me a withering look and told me no one would vote for THAT name.  So I guess "Lakers" is out of the running.  They ended up naming the team The Thunders!

Matthew has been wanting to go practice basketball at the court behind our house.  I told him we would go when we got a warm day...and luckily one came along.  I thought I would show Matthew all my sweet basketball moves, but I was pretty rusty.  After a little practice I started shooting better.

Of course the hoops behind our house are regulation height (they lower the hoops for the youth games at the YMCA) and it was pretty hard for Matthew to make a basket there.  We had fun practicing though.  He does like taking shots.

 Anna came with us and practiced too.

She also brought snacks and water bottles for everyone.  So prepared.

And here is Matthew in his first game, waving arms wildly to show his teammate he's open.  He's in the middle in a white jersey.  Way to go Matthew!  More basketball fun to come.

And along with basketball, Matthew is also doing karate this year.  Anna said she wanted to do karate instead of gymnastics this year, so we've got two little white belts now.  Anna is also doing swimming lessons.  She does karate for 45 minutes then swimming lessons for 45 minutes (while Matthew has his karate lesson).  She is usually pretty beat by the time we get home (as am I).  ;)

 

But I think she likes it so far.