7 years of coaching and it all comes down to this. From the time “the boy” was old enough to walk he began his love affair with basketball. I might have had a thing or two to do with that, but we’ve honestly allowed our children choose whatever sport they wanted. You can bet I was thrilled when he chose basketball and baseball as his “A and B” sports. As soon as we could get him into league play, we signed him up. He spent his first two years in Upwards Basketball and 4 years ago made a huge leap from Upwards to “playing up” as a 3rd grader in a 4th grade travel league. We took our lumps that first year, but it was worth the move.

So why the walk down memory lane? Because in a few short hours we will head to our last 2 games of the season. This isn’t the end of just another season. This is the final season that I will have the honor of coaching “50.” Next year we release our kids to the 7th grade and school sports. It might seem silly, but I’ll be one of the parents in the stands for the first time in his basketball career. Arguably, I’ll be the proudest dad in the stands. Don’t misunderstand that statement. While I think “50” is wicked good and has all the potential in the world, I’m most proud of what is at the core of this child. My pride in my son (and daughters) comes from who they are, not what they accomplish. His hoops career has been icing on the cake.

So my son, I am so proud of you. You’ve worked hard to get this far in your basketball career. The sky is the limit. Thank you for always making your mom and I so proud on and off the court. Thank you for acting like you’ve been there and always being a good sport. Thank you for thinking of team first. I can’t wait to see you continue to grow, improve and capture all that awaits. Thank you for the honor of being your coach and, most importantly, your dad.

Finish strong Five-O!