Camaraderie

Camaraderie: conviviality, bonhomie, brotherhood. By definition: comradeship; good-fellowship. If Saturday were any indication, I’d say that the gymnasium was filled with a brotherhood.

This past weekend, my nephew and his team did something few teams get a chance to do. They completed their second consecutive undefeated basketball season. Over the past couple of months, these young men have paid their dues with blood, sweat and tears, and I imagine, learned a few lessons in the game of life.

As a proud auntie and devoted fan, I could not be prouder of the boys. Watching them cultivate their on-court personalities and developing a true sense of teamwork, I was impressed with their charisma at the tender age of 13/14.

Ball handling skills have improved. Confidence has grown, persistently, week-to-week, with many boys easily qualifying for “most improved player”. Fundamentally speaking, if the boys continue to mature as players in this capacity, I would be shocked if there weren’t a half a dozen or more who play college ball.

Good, young talent combined with hard work and a true love of the game are the reasons I think this team has been so successful on the court.

In addition, and in my humble opinion, even more important than tallying up the scoreboard or analyzing statistics is the fact that most of the boys are all A and/or Honor Roll students. They’re the sort of boys that hug their moms and dads after the game-- high-five little brothers and sisters. They say “thank you” when you tell them “good game,” and they smile, humbly, but proudly when they recognize a job well done. These boys have impressed me with their sportsmanship—they are the first to jump up and help a teammate or opponent after a tumble on the court. They hustle after the ball when it heads out of bounds and gently hand it to a referee. They have learned early on, the excitement of a victory and certainly enjoy collecting ‘W’s’ instead of ‘L’s’… but they’re the first to say “Good job” to their opponents, pointing out the positives.

They are good boys. They are happy boys. I believe they deserve a countywide (and beyond) standing ovation on their poise over the past two seasons.

I look forward to the next chapter … seeing whom they all grow up to be.