Funny comment from tryouts last night

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

We had 7th and 8th grade boys tryouts last night for our local kids rec league. Actually, "tryouts" is a misnomer, since every kid who signs up on time gets on a team. It's actually a skills drill so coaches can take notes for the team draft.

Anyway, I was running the free throw station. As I lined the first group up, I told them that if a kid makes a free throw, everybody was to yell "NICE SHOT", but on every miss, they were to yell "YOU SUCK". Quite a few of them laughed before I told them I was just kidding. However, one kid came over to me and said, "Actually, I really do suck, so if they yell it I won't mind". At first I thought he was putting me on, but the more I looked at his demeanor, the more I was convinced he was serious.

BTW - he got to shoot nine free throws during the drills and he did make one, however, it wouldn't have counted in a game because he went way over the line. I noticed him in the layup drill and he missed quite a few of those too. Fortunately, this is a purely recreational league and he'll still have a lot of fun and, I hope, improve his skills. That's the point.

Oh yeah, one kid who moved here from Europe over the summer brought a soccer ball instead of a basketball. He was sufficiently laughed at by the other kids. I made sure he attempted all his shots from the metric line.

Could be he was a Wilfred Hetzel fan.

[grunewar]

Boys 7/8 yr old sign ups and evaluations last night. The children are lining up with their parents at the table for registration. Some are very timid, so I try to engage them in a little snappy banter to loosen them up (Mark, you'd be perfect here).

"What's your name son?"
"Johnny."
"Are you ready for tryouts"
"I guess."
I see you've got a Redskins Jersey on, huh?"
"Yep"
"Whose Jersey is it?"
"Mine."

His dad smiled at me and put his arm around his son as they walked into the gym. He was wearing #21, Sean Taylor.

Let the season begin!