Basketball!

Before the soccer season ended, Sam's Coach, Jules, said, "you are signing her up for basketball, right?" Actually the answer to that was no. It never crossed our minds. Fast forward to now, and the season is almost over! We've got ourselves a 2-sport girl (actually 3 now with baseball that has already started but I can't seem to catch up on this blog).

The first intro to basketball was a one-day camp right after the New Year at the YMCA. And when I say "first intro" I really mean first.  She had no idea how to play the game. 

Who knew she would be the only girl?!

I was proud of our little baller for keeping up with all the boys.

I will say that the part she liked most about the camp was bumping into her friend Zoe who was doing a different camp at the Y. ;) 

First practice!

Her fellow Rainbow Shark from soccer, Charlotte, is on her team.

Basketball at the YMCA is LOUD!  There are four teams practicing at once sharing the courts and the noise level is bouncing off the walls. It's a 180 from being outdoors during soccer where you can actually hear your coach. 

They've got two great co-coaches, Coach Tom, Jules' husband and Coach Matt, whose son Brayden goes to kindergarten with Sam. 

Soon Thatch, SOON, it will be your turn to play a sport. 

Not bad for her first practice!

1st game!

Sam, Charlotte and Brayden

Samantha was actually really nervous before the start of her first game. I actually saw tears in her eyes and got up to go make sure she really wanted to play and Coach Matt waved me back and gave her a quick pep talk. The whistle blew and off she went down the court trying her best.  

First game!

So I think the co-ed thing makes it a little bit more challenging. The boys will just come right up and steal the ball from the girls. At least that was happening in the first few games until our little aggressive Samantha stopped letting the boys do that ;) Actually, we know the family of the boy who stole that ball from Sam in the video and she came up to me after that game and said, "You need to tell Samantha to really do her best to grab the ball out of the boys' hands because they are not used to the girls doing that and when she even tries just a little, they will be shocked and will let go."  Bingo!  It's worked almost every time ;)

Picture day!

Love those long legs!

Focus.

The refs at the Y are super great. They are teaching the entire time the game is going because to be honest, the amount of traveling, fouls and every other basketball violation possible is happening at all times. They give the kids second or third (or fourth) tries all the time.

The good thing about Santa Barbara is that you always know somebody wherever you are at so it is nice that Thatcher usually has someone to play with while sitting in the stands. 

Post-game snack with T.J. who by the way is an AWESOME basketball player.  Let's just say his team beat us by a few points, give or take.  ;)

Jump ball!

In action!

Post-game snack after she got her very first basket!!!!  We were so excited!  Basketball has been quite the opposite for Samantha compared to soccer. Sam scored at least one goal every soccer game if not several and basketball is A LOT harder for her.  

Sam with TJ and Brayden. Both these boys are rock star basketball players. Brayden really is the only one who regularly scores baskets on our team.  But hey, that one time Sam got a basket!  ;)

Still friends even after playing against each other ;)

Who needs teeth to play basketball?

Here are some clips from practices and games.

Unfortunately and also surprisingly since I am constantly taking photos/videos, I don't have a video of Samantha making her basket BUT there's still one more chance with her last game coming up. I'd say Samantha's strengths have been on the defensive side with rebounds and steals but she does know how to drive the ball down the court. It's getting it in the basket that we need to work on and she needs to get more aggressive like she is in soccer. 

All in all, despite her team not winning a single game (yet), she's loving it and we do too. We've turned into total sports parents and are looking forward to cheering her on during baseball season.