I am really getting tired of getting beaten so terribly by opposing teams that don't seem to let it bother them in the least. I realize that blowouts happen in sports, but we are talking 3rd and 4th graders here, not pros. Is there any reason a team needs to win by 54 points? I can't think of one. I know if I was winning by more than 20 points, I would make the decision to call of the dogs a little bit. Not true for the coaches of our last two opponents.

    Anyway, our only two points this week were free throws - one each for two of Samantha's teammates. We did have some good looks, but none of our shots would fall. Once again, we continued to get beat up and down the court, resulting in a ton of easy baskets for the opposition. Despite stressing this in practice and trying to run the kids a little more so that they wouldn't tire so easily, they just refuse to make the effort to try to get back before the other team. Sam had a brief moment of confusion, dribbling in for a layup on the other teams basket. Unfortunately the crowd applauded this maneuver, which really upset her. I took a timeout to try to calm her down and give her a moment to stop crying. Thankfully she went back into the game later and gave it her all. Unfortunately I don't think that the best effort from all of our kids would have been enough to change the outcome of this game.

    One reminder when looking at the pictures - Samantha's number this season is 1, so keep an eye out for that if you can't figure out which one she is when looking at them.

Samantha's Basketball - Game #5
	Samantha is among a group of players trying to rush in to get position for a rebound.
	Sam made a minor gaffe during the game and was pretty upset about doing so. Rodney took a time out to take a moment to console her.
	Rodney giving Sam a hug.
	Sam in the game, trying to get open for a pass (like her wide open teammate on the right of the picture).
	Sam and the rest of her team walking up the court.
	Another woeful score, this one a 56-2 loss.