Weekend Wrap Up

I wish the week would last as long as the weekends seem to...then it would be the weekend much more often! It is Monday again, already.

This weekend was fast because there was a bunch of things happening. Saturday was our Young Women Basketball extravaganza...meaning we played a whole "season" of basketball in one day...and found a stake ball champion to send to the region tourney next month. Whew. Not that is was without its drama. But that will be fodder for another post, so let's leave it at four hours of games, and it is done. Yea!

It was also Genius Golfer's birthday Saturday. He is 46. He spent the morning--while I was at basketball--with the 14-15 year old boys tubing at Soldier Hollow. Everyone had a great time, I undestand, and no one got hurt (always a plus in my tubing experiences) so it was a terrific activity. He had planned on golfing that afternoon, but I can't remember if he did or not. I think we all stayed home and vegged out until it was time to go to dinner. It is always a good day if I don't have to cook--so we celebrated with dinner out and then home for cake, ice cream and a movie. Not a bad Saturday overall.

Sunday began early for most of us. The boys had a stake priesthood meeting at 7 AM and I had a camp meeting at 7:30, so only The Girl got to sleep in. In fact she got herself to church at 9, where we all met eventually. Once our service was over, I came home and fell alseep until about 3:30 when I got up and went ot take some pictures for a friend. Her son is submitting paperwork for his mission and need the missionary-look headshots. Then I chatted with this friend about a YW issue in another ward, and brainstormed some solutions. Then one of our Camp committee girls came over in a tizzy because she had just been released after a rotten day as Laurel president (and thus, on the camp committee) and was confused and angry and upset. We talked to her--together as it happened--and hopefully helped her see change is inevitable and that we still needed her. But I also told her to get a good night's sleep and she would probably feel better.

And suddenly it is Monday morning again. This weeke doesn'tlook quite as busy as the past two weeks, but it isn't going to be a watch TV and eat bon-bon kind of week either. Like it EVER is.

A Story to Share

From NPR’s “Sweetness And Light”  by Frank Deford

When last we left the NCAA, it was February madness, colleges were jumping conferences, suing each other, coaches were claiming rivals had cheated in recruiting — the usual nobility of college sports.

And then, in the midst of all this, the men's basketball team at Washington College of Chestertown, Md., journeyed to Pennsylvania to play Gettysburg College in a Division III Centennial Conference game.

It was senior night, and the loudest cheers went to Cory Weissman, No. 3, 5 feet 11 inches, a team captain — especially when he walked out onto the court as one of Gettysburg's starting five.

Yes, he was a captain, but it was, you see, the first start of his college career. Cory had played a few minutes on the varsity as a freshman, never even scoring. But then, after that season, although he was only 18 years old, he suffered a major stroke. He was unable to walk for two weeks. His whole left side was paralyzed. He lost his memory, had seizures.

But by strenuously devoting himself to his rehabilitation, Cory slowly began to improve. He was able to return to college, and by this year, he could walk without a limp and even participated in the pregame layup drills.

So for senior night, against Washington, his coach, George Petrie, made the decision to start Cory. Yes, he would play only a token few seconds, but it meant a great deal to Cory and to Gettysburg. All the more touching, the Washington players stood and cheered him.

That was supposed to be the end of it, but with Gettysburg ahead by a large margin and less than a minute left in the game, Coach Petrie sent Cory back in.

Nobody could understand, though, what happened next, why the Washington coach, Rob Nugent, bothered to call time out. The fans didn't know what he told his players there in the huddle: that as quickly as they could, foul No. 3. And one of them did. And with 17 seconds left, Cory Weissman strode to the free-throw line. He had two shots.

Suddenly, the crowd understood what Coach Nugent had sought to do. There was not a sound in the gym. Cory took the ball and shot. It drifted to the left, missing disastrously. The crowd stirred. The referee gave Cory the ball back. He eyed the rim. He dipped and shot. The ball left his hand and flew true. Swish. All net.

The crowd cried as much as it cheered.

The assistant vice president for athletics at Gettysburg, David Wright, wrote to Washington College: "Your coach, Rob Nugent, along with his ... staff and student-athletes, displayed a measure of compassion that I have never witnessed in over 30 years of involvement in intercollegiate athletics."

Cory Weissman had made a point.

Washington College had made an even larger one.

Off the Rim

It is not only March Madness across this great nation of ours, but it is also tournament time for Church Basketball season.  For some reason, the Young Men who play in these tournaments (and their parents, coaches, siblings, even some grammies) have been more mouthy than I recall in the past.  It may be that I was able to help out with four games last night and then watch The Boy play in one this morning.

There has been a long standing joke that Church ball is the only brawl that starts with prayer.

But today I heard another one, even better:  The war in heaven was set off by a church basketball game.

To top it all off, I read this article in the Deseret News yesterday.  Timely, and true.
http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/76/10011651/Vais-View-Organized-church-ball-not-worth-it.html

It's Called an HONOR Code for a Reason

BYU's basketball team has had a lot of press this season.  Rightly so.  They have had a Cinderella season.  They have given the school, the conference, and the region a lot of reasons to cheer.  Both wins over San Diego State were tremendous--the only two losses SDSU have had all season long.  Not too shabby.

This week, however, the talk has shifted from their performance on the court, to the university's decision regarding Brandon Davies' (number 0, above) honor code violation and subsequent dismissal from the team for the remainder of the season.  It is a critical time to make roster changes to a team, but more so when that roster change is your third leading scorer, your leading rebounder and the biggest inside guy you have out there.  The conference tournament and the NCAA tournament--that crazy March Madness--are closing in.  The Cougars even had a chance to have a #1 seeding there.  Now that is looking doubtful.

Hey, I am a proud graduate from BYU.  I have been as excited as anyone else for the Cougs to be playing so well.  I found myself a little sick with Jimmer-fever myself.  That is what makes being a university alumna fun--I have a life long relationship with the school.  Last night's loss to New Mexico was more than a little disappointinging.

But in a world where the lack of honorable men and women in business, in politics, in general society  is repeatedly lamented, I am very proud of the university's decision to stick to its guns.  And I think Brandon Davies should be lauded for his, reportedly, volunteering the information which then cost him his spot on the team.  From the reports we have heard, the violation was not criminal.  That tidbit leads me to believe it was of more a moral issue--not that is any of my business, mind you.  It is hard enough to go to a leader--athletic, academic or religious--and confess you have made a mistake.  If you knew that your confession would cost you the high-profile athletic affiliation you've enjoyed on scholarship?  Well, that is a big risk to set things right.  And an honorable one.

ESPN commentators, among others, have spent some time talking about BYU's Honor Code as something so outrageous and unreachable that it was ridiculous for the university to expect anyone to live by it, much less a hugely popular athlete.  What they don't seem to understand is that many, many high profile athletes--as well as your average BYU student--have been living in accordance with that Honor Code from the first day of admission, and even before.  Everyone signs it.  Every year it is renewed.  No one is forced to attend BYU.  Especially when you factor in the high demand for the limited spots at the school for students.  

BYU is ranked as America's "favorite college"--meaning that more BYU applicants who are accepted actually attend than any other school in the nation.  Unlike Harvard, which is still high on the list, but where an applicant might try to be accepted without any intention (are ability) to attend there, BYU's applicants REALLY want to go to school here.  There are plenty of people who knowingly apply, are willing to sign the Honor Code and will attend and live by that code, as well as the academic expectations the university has set.

The key to the Honor Code is your PERSONAL honor.  Your integrity.  Your word.  Those things have seemingly less and less value to the world, yet BYU demands them be valued.  That goes for each student who attends.  That means, ALL students: Mormon or not; US student or international student;  Undergrad or graduate student.  Even the faculty have a high standard to which they are held.  Here is a whole university--35,000 or so strong--who value Honor, enough to require a signed Honor Code as part of their acceptance.

I was secretly hoping that the Cougs would beat NM last night, perhaps with some Divine assistance and then maybe prove how right this whole Honor Code thing is.  But they lost. 

Does that mean God isn't interested in the influence of this discussion of Honor Codes and BYU basketball on the world?  Students have jokingly called this "God's University" for many years.  Doesn't He have some sway here?  Couldn't He help them win and show the world that Honor still does has value and let the world see the Cougars are stronger because of it?  I'm sure He could have done that.  But it didn't happen.

Maybe this isn't a lesson for the world to learn.  Maybe this is a lesson for the university's students, alumni and supporters around the world to re-evaluate and re-examine their own behavior and determine if it is truly honorable.  Maybe it is a chance to have the world talking--not about the team's games and achievements but about the team's real priorities.  Maybe it is a chance for the world to recognize that honor and integrity are more valuable to society than sports and win percentages.

I hope the discussion turns that way.  But I also hope the Cougs can win their last home game and still have a great showing in the MWC tourney in Vegas next week.   And I really hope BYU can pull themselves together and play with the strength and heart that comes from living up to your word and earning respect for not only their play throughout the season, but for having their long term, personal priorities in the right place. 

But, let's be really honest here, a good showing at the Big Dance wouldn't hurt my feelings either.

What a Difference

Today we had Young Women basketball, after a two week hiatus.

Two weeks ago the day involved three games, and every one of them turned ugly and nasty to the point that I was sick to my stomach at the end of it all.  We had tears and accusations and hard feelings and angry parents.  I hate that about church sports.

So today, I welcomed each pair of teams with a smile on my face and a prayer in my heart.  I shared with them my sick feelings of the past basketball outings.  I expressed that the sports program for the YW is merely another activity to invite inactive or non-LDS friends to play together with us and to lead all of us to Christ.  If we (meaning the girls, spectators, officials) behave so badly that there are tears and bad feelings, we are not being good examples of what Daughters of God should be.  We are to be examples of Christ at all times, in all places and in all things--and that means basketball too.  I asked the girls to play with heart and determination, but not to let the competition of it and the desire to win defeat them as sisters in the gospel and as daughters of God.

What a difference!  We had three good games.  We learned some things about basketball, thanks to officials who took the time to explain the foul, or rule when they called it.  We saw young women show love and tenderness and friendship and genuine care for one another.  It was so much easier to watch.  And it will make me sleep so much better tonight.

The best part is, we had a outright, undefeated champion emerge today, making our scheduled last day of play irrelevant, and consequently cancelled.  Yippee.

Rise and Shout!

Now, I generally keep my sports writing limited to my own kids' sports, the local High School football team and, occasionally, the one weirdo team that makes a name for itself--good, bad or ugly.

Well, I crossed over my personal boundaries and watched a little Cougar Basketball last night.  I'm a BYU grad, so this is alumni spirit, right?

BYU was ranked #9 in the nation, with a record of 19-1 going in the Mountain West Conference game against San Diego State.  SDSU was ranked #4 and had a perfect 20-0 record coming to Provo last night.  Holy Cow!  What a show!  Cougar star Jimmer Ferdette is Ah-Maz-Ing!  I've seen video game versions that don't shoot as well as he did last night.  And he seems to play this way all the time!  Wowzer!

The really fun part was seeing the Marriott Center, all 22,700+ seats were rocking, washed in Cougar Blue and White.  THAT is one reason kids need to go to college.  I think that kind of fun, excitement, thrill of victory is what makes good memories.  Also, it makes me wish I went to see more  BYU round ball during my time there.  Oh well.  High Definition nationally televised games are pretty great in my cushy new living room chairs.

Rise and Shout, the Cougars are out!  Gooooo Cougars!!!

No Bias Given

Last Saturday I got to be a time keeper fro the Young Women's basketball games at our Stake Center. We have 6 wards, so we had three games to watch and time, score, and cheer on.

It always takes a little while to get in the groove again after almost a year of not running a scoreboard to remember just what it is I am supposed to do.

I thought I had it all figured out, and the first game began. Less than a full minute I realized that the clock portion (a slightly important element in my TIME keeping assignment) wasn't counting down. I had to interrupt the game, stop the action, call an audible--oh, wait, that is football. I had to ask for an "officials time out" to get some help to restart the clock. Duh...

I finally got it together and the game resumed.

Afterwards our Stake Presidency counselor who was there watching his daughter play had to give me a hard time. (This is regular banter now between us. It is much like a senior teasing a lowly freshman, who usually can't help being a geek.)

Finally I told him, "Hey, this wasn't like I was favoring either side. My bias is unanimous because I suck equally for both teams here."

At which point he laughed and told me that he'd be sure to pass that information onto President A. at their next Stake Presidency meeting. Then added as he walked away, "But that still won't get you fired."

Drats; foiled again.