Archives For Competition

His first love

February 28, 2020

Forever ago, a little boy asked his mom and dad

Can I play basketball?

So a ball was placed in his hands

To travel with sometimes

To dribble others

To protect from the hands of defenders

His shoelaces seemed to never stay tied

While he ran his fastest and played his hardest

He took in criticism and accolades

And his parents grew to understand

This game was his first love

And that love is shared by his best friends

The older we get the luckier we are

To close chapters and collect memories

Until the clock ticks down to zero

Owen senior year

Bellevue West boys basketball team class of 2020 seniors and parents on senior night.

 

This is the tenth (#10) in a series of 100-word posts I plan to write. This post is dedicated to all Nebraska high school basketball players getting ready to enter post season play. Especially the senior players and their parents.

My ultimate goal is to create 100 of these 100-word posts in no set time frame. Thanks for following along!

Written by Heidi Woodard

In Awareness, Belonging, Competition, Experience, Friendship, I love to watch you play, Love, Memories, Passion, Reflection, Sharing Wisdom, Strength, Support, Youth Sports ,
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Play for today

November 28, 2018

Fight for every possession

as if everything could be snatched away

without warning in an unjustified instant.

Each moment counts

in a game of split-second decisions.

Tbirds

You will do better than you ever thought possible

as well as disappoint those who battle alongside you.

May you be hard on yourself in the pursuit of perfection

and kind on yourself knowing that excellence is elusive.

One day you will walk out of the gym

that has become your second home

for the final time.

You will remove your shoes and fight back tears

and wonder what comes next?

Play for today.

 

This is the sixth (#6) in a series of 100-word posts I plan to write. I dedicate these particular words to the 2018-2019 Bellevue West Thunderbird basketball team on the eve of their season opener.

My ultimate goal is to create 100 of these 100-word posts in no set time frame. Thanks for following along!

Written by Heidi Woodard

In Awareness, Belonging, Competition, Family, Friendship, I love to watch you play, Memories, Reflection, Sports, Youth Sports , , , , ,
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It’s JUST a Game

March 1, 2018

It’s JUST a game of dribbling, passing, shooting, boxing out, rebounding, fouling, pressing, losing, and winning.

It’s JUST a handful of months out of the calendar year devoted to lifting, conditioning, ball handling, and pushing oneself to achieve more than the day before.

It’s JUST a day here and a night there spanning several weeks gathered together with coaches and teammates sharing meals and laughs.

It’s JUST watching film, checking tweets and snaps, and scouting your competition.

It’s JUST putting yourself out there in front of fans who will both celebrate your successes and ruthlessly judge your every move, decision, and game stat.

It’s JUST a span of three days out of 365 total throughout the year.

It’s JUST something you can’t really describe until you experience it.

Here we are, baby. State basketball is right around the corner.

2018 bracket

c/o @OmahaHSHoops

I’ve written before about the Bellevue West Thunderbirds advancing to the big show. I’ve interviewed their head coach, Doug Woodard, who also happens to be my father-in-law.

Yes, in the grand scheme of life and with everything happening in our world, it’s easy to question how young adults playing a game can mean so much to so many.

Yet the older I get, the more I appreciate the unbridled joy of it all.

TBirds 2018

The 2018 Bellevue West TBirds celebrate their District Championship.

It is a privilege to be able to witness young people working towards and achieving a common goal together. Away from screens, virtual gaming, and online judgment.

This is not only their experience. It is shared by young fans looking up to them with wide eyes of admiration. It is shared by a community that rallies behind them in their chase for the ultimate title.

Nico 2018

Junior Nico Felici cutting down the net while young fans watch.

This is the time of year that you never truly know what can happen, which is equal parts exciting and terrifying.

This is the time of year that you see young athletes’ dreams within reach. When you cheer ferociously for your own team. When you nod your head in admiration for the talent they play against.

This is the time of year when older generations – myself included – live extra vicariously through their offspring.

fam

Myself, my oldest, and my husband post-District win.

Only eight teams remain in Nebraska’s NSAA Class A competition and, in one week from today, that group will begin the journey of survival on the hardwood.

Good luck to Millard South, Omaha Central, Bellevue West, Kearney, Lincoln Pius X, Creighton Prep, Lincoln East, and Omaha Bryan.

Written by Heidi Woodard

In Competition, Experience, Family, Give The Game Back, I love to watch you play, Inspiration, Memories, Reflection, Sports, Strength , , , , , ,
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