Since there is a lot of talk about basketball these days, today’s throwback is from our girl’s basketball team. I’m not sure of the date, but I’m guessing about 1978 since I am still wearing my coke-bottle glasses. I was switched to contact lenses in 6th grade to help with my eyesight issues, so this must have been before that.

I had forgotten those basketball uniforms!

My dad coached our team. Unfortunately I was not much of an athlete or too interested in competitive sports, but my parent’s always thought it was good for me to be on some teams. I would have rather been reading a book! I didn’t like practicing in my free time and never put any effort into developing my skills. 🙂 I was mostly a bench warmer and I remember one game which was close and I didn’t play at all. But it was fun being with the other girls my age. In my mind, that was the only positive about team sports. Mostly I felt like I was letting my team down.

When I was in high school and there was a math team, I finally found a team that I could really contribute to. I loved being a mathlete, even though we hardly enjoyed the popularity that the athletes enjoyed.

Now that I am older, I know that teamwork isn’t just for sports and I really enjoy collaboration. I like that there is a broader variety of activities for kids these days. They can join a robotics team or a science Olympiad team or a service club team or a Scouting team. Or a sports team if that is what they enjoy. Teamwork is an essential life skill.