Hardwood Joe

I've enjoyed watching Joe play basketball for MBA's seventh grade ("C" team) team the past few weeks.  He was supposed to play this afternoon, but Valor canceled the game.  He only has four basketball games left, three of which are next week.  I'm reminded of how short the middle school sports seasons are, which I had kind of forgotten since JP is in the back end of high school.

As I predicted before the season, Joe is starting, playing point guard, and in many ways running the team for better or worse.  He knows the offense, knows where everyone is supposed to be, and competes his ass off every play.  He turns the ball over too much, though, in part because his handle is not where it needs to be and his size limits his ability to pass over defenders.  This is especially true when he's double teamed.  

Still, he plays with heart and he's scoring the basketball more than he has in the past.  In a tough 44-34 loss to Tuesday Monday night, he scored 10 points and easily could have had 15.  He hit two 3-pointers and had a couple more buckets in the paint.  He missed a gimme layup at the end of the first half, though, and had a good look at a 3-pointer, late, that looked it was going in before it rimmed out.  He made some nice defensive plays, as well, including a late steal that led to a layup by his teammate, Rex Waddy.

I've coached, and known, Rex since he was five years old or so.  His father, Alex, is an old attorney friend of mine, as is his grandfather, Jack.  Believe it or not, Jack Waddy and I used to play basketball at the Uptown YMCA, now defunct, at lunch when I clerked at Manier, Herod in the summer of 1992 and, later, when I went to work there.  Yes, that is more than 30 years ago.  Alex and I used to play law league softball together.  A decathlete in college at Virginia, he's one of the best athletes I have ever known.

Rex is a sweet, kind hearted kid whom I love to death.  He's one of my all-time favorites out of JP's and Joe's groups because he's so funny, quirky, happy, and big hearted.  I think I identify with him in part because he lost his mother, Alex's wife, to colon cancer a few years ago.  Having lost my dad at a young age, we share in common that experience, although no two situations are the same.

What I love about Rex's game this winter is that I can see the light bulb beginning to come on for him.  He's competing consistently and, clearly, how he plays and how the team performs is starting to matter to him.  In games, he's never scared.  He uses his length and athleticism to rebound, defend, and get to the cup.  Now, he misses layups - a lot - but that can and will be corrected.  As his dad, Alex, told me, Rex is starting to love the game of basketball.  That's a beautiful thing to see.

Joe, Rex, Bennett, and Sawyer, three of whom are from USN (Joe, Bennett, and Sawyer) are starters and tone setters for the team.  I love that, of course.  Joe is a natural leader and has the ability to connect with anyone and everyone.  I know it and I need him to know it.  I think he's starting to figure that out.

This weekend, Jude and JP are traveling to Texas so JP can look at University of Texas and Rice.  Wow.  It's all happening.  I'm looking forward to having a long weekend at home with Joe.

(Herban Market)