Game Log 1/6/2009: Some thoughts about running

JV/Varsity girls, each about a 20-point spread. No major issues to report in either that I remember...only one brief chat with a coach and nothing much else. We did fine.

At halftime of the varsity game, a partner had a pretty good observation for me that has led to my old bugaboo...running. I'm a slow non-athlete whose running style has gone from laughable to passable. (I'm happy with passable...as long as I'm not noticed for negative reasons, I'll take that.) She said that I'd been beat down the floor three times. I don't think that I had, but I'll take her word. (One of the cases we remember was actually me missing a previous rotation.) Her next comment was a bit of an eye-opener (in the positive sense). She said that getting beat wasn't bad--what was bad was that I seemed to always be running the same (molasses-slow) speed. If I kicked into a new gear, things would be better.

I declared at that moment that I would NOT GET BEAT in the second half.

And I didn't. Except once. (I was trail during a scramble near halfcourt that I had to step in on and hold up for...then Red passed the ball out and ran for a layup. I was doomed, and held up at the end to get an angle from on the floor rather than run myself into a crappy angle to get to the baseline.)

My partner said that she saw a new speed from me...and that that was good, as it gave the appearance of hustle.

It makes sense, actually. And I think it's one of the problems I have with the physical image I give off. I look like I'm not hustling.

It's not laziness that causes this, methinks. It's concentration...trying to get a good angle, trying not to be hauling ass (because one cannot make good calls at full speed). But the impression I'll give by having a new gear and committing to NEVER GETTING BEAT (even though I will) will likely help.

I'll get good practice at my next game. For the fourth time, I'm slated for my first boys' varsity game on Thursday. The first three were delayed due to (in order) floods, ice, and snow. I'm expecting locusts to descend on my city shortly to prevent me from making my boys' varsity debut yet again...Anyway. I'll make it a point to run hard and not get beat. Because even boys at this very very small school will be quite fast. We'll see how it goes, see how I look.

I haven't looked closely at my Monday night game yet: I will investigate to see if I'm getting beat. (I don't think I was, but it's worth a look with this new information.)

Anyway, this is what's on my mind after these games, which went fine.

THINGS I DID WELL: Good calls, good passes in JV game (we'd have been there all night)
THINGS TO WORK ON: Still poaching across key as L. I must stop. Also, don't get beat.
NEXT UP: Very small religious school vs. very small private school. Girls varsity and boys' varsity. Thursday.