Plugging Along

Note: Again, not the greatest pics, I even took my regular camera, but it doesn't take good action shots.  Jackson is #22.  Well, Jackson's Jr. Jazz team is plugging along...they won their first game and haven't won a game since.  It is so great to watch 9-10 yr olds play though, they play hard the whole time!  The refs call all the regular calls, they pretty much know how to guard their own man etc.  His coach has even been teaching them to "pic and roll."  Very high-spirited games though, lots of stealing the ball, every time they get to the basket about 4 or 5 shots are thrown up, sometimes they go in, it is lots of fun to watch-action packed.  The best part, I have decided, is that Jackson might not have a competitive bone in his body, at least not yet.  He is just there to have fun, and just wants to be nice.  One team a season gets the overall "sportsmanship award" and that seems to be all he cares about.  A couple of games ago, his team was down about 20 points and the other team was shooting a foul shot.  He was right behind the shooter, and when he made it, there is Jackson, clapping...like, "good job!"  He did it the second time too, but then caught what he was doing and stopped, so cute.  He has one boy on his team who's dad is the coach, and Steve and I are sure, he is going to keel over with a heart attack at 9 yrs old.  He is so intense and upset when they are losing (which is all the time).  His face gets all red, he has to go in and then he starts throwing elbows and getting offensive fouls like crazy, he fake falls down, and cries when they lose.  Not too much help to the team, but his dad is the coach, what do ya' do?  So, I have come to the conclusion, that I would rather have a kid like Jackson than that!