A Letter to the 8th Grade Blast Baddies

At the Richmond tournament championship game, I looked down at my hand and saw one of the last travel basketball hand stamps I will get. It made me appreciate being there, an hour away from home, all day, in a gym filled with young women playing the sport they love.

You weren’t always young women. You were girls when you started playing together. Awkward and eager to learn and improve. Falling in love with the game and learning to play as a team. What you have accomplished over the years has been beautiful to witness. You have grown both physically and mentally. You have matured into team players, no longer dribbling into corners and yelling “ball, ball, ball” on an inbound, but realizing that assists, rebounds, and passing are key to a winning team. You have recognized that individual stats do not define you, but playing together, accomplishing goals, and playing with grit and character are the keys to team success.

Watching that last game in Richmond was special. You had the game won in the first five minutes, but what made it different than every other win was how both teams treated each other. You knew you were going to win, and you didn’t take it easy on them, but you recognized their love of playing and you matched that enthusiasm. The respect both teams showed for each other and the joy you had while playing is the stuff that makes a parent proud. Keep playing with that love and respect for the game, your opponents, and each other.

It’s not always easy. That’s why not everyone plays basketball. Sometimes the schedule gets crazy. Double practices, away games, all day tournaments, soreness, injuries. Lack of confidence. Lack of rest. Balancing school-work and friends. Sometimes the shots don’t hit. Sometimes calls don’t go our way. Sometimes coaches push your limits. Occasionally there are tears.

But there are things that always ring true. You play with heart. You always work as a team. You always have love for the game. You always have respect for each other and your coaches. Never lose sight of those things as they will be what you remember years from now.

This last year was something to remember. Not because it is the end of travel ball, but because of the growth we have seen in all of you. As a team, you are truly fun to watch. Your talent is exceptional. The leadership shown on the court, the tenacity in which you go for every ball, the way you cheer for each other, stand up for threes, pick each other up off the ground, the respect you show your coaches, how you conduct yourself through the wins and losses has shined this entire season.

As you enter the world of high school sports, whether your journey ends here or you make Varsity as a Freshman, know that your character and commitment over the years has helped to shape you into the amazing young women you are. Wherever you land, just keep playing, work hard, and have fun doing it. Know how unbelievably proud we all are to be your parents, to see you grow, to see you succeed, to witness you become confident young women that cheer each other on and lift each other up. To see this growth has been the greatest gift. So thank you for the great run,  Eighth Grade Blast. You will be missed, but we can’t wait to see where you go from here. Blast on three! 1-2-3 Blast!