Picture a typical basketball game: ecstatic fans in the bleachers, cheerleaders on the sideline, referees with their striped uniforms, players running up and down the court, the head coaches pacing back and forth, and the buzzer constantly going off.
During a game, have you ever looked over at the scorer's table in the middle of the court and noticed the people sitting there? Usually, there's a person running the clock, an announcer, and one scorekeeper from the home and the visiting team. Well, I was the awesome scorekeeper for Ursuline Academy of New Orleans, home of the Lady Lions.
I saw and took in all of the action every game front and center. At times, it was kinda scary. Players often ran into the scorer's table fighting for a loose ball, balls constantly came in close contact with my face, livid parents were escorted out of the game, players were badly injured, and oh yeah, a referee yelled at me once and threatened to throw me out because he made a horrible call, and I reacted along with the crowd (scariest moment ever). Taking stats during a game can be nerve-wracking because you have to be one hundred percent accurate about each point that you write down. It's so easy to make a mistake or become distracted, especially when you're so into a game.
Due to that, I've made several errors during games, but that is why you write in pencil and there's another scorekeeper at the table to confer with. Despite the circumstances, I enjoyed every minute of being at that table because I was directly involved in the action, and most importantly, the teams wouldn't have any points if I didn't keep track of them!
Bookkeeper was my main responsibility as a manager, but I also had the usual tasks: setting up the gym before home games, filling basketballs with air, putting all of the goals down before practice, and the list continues. Practices were usually fun along with the other managers who became some of my closest friends. There was a lot of laughter, snacks, music, and jokes with the assistant coaches.
I was in charge of running the clock during practice. The girls always started practice with lay-ups. For every missed lay-up, the team had to run a 12-second "down and back." Let's just say I tried to help the girls here and there by knocking off a couple of sprints without the coaches noticing. I was aware of the struggle since I had played basketball my freshman year.
In actuality, I was an equal, vital member of the team. I had to attend every practice, film session, study hall, game, tournament, team meeting, and athletic banquet. I was able to go in the locker room before and after games, and I was even eligible to receive a letterman. What I loved most about the team was the fact that we were a family and had an unbreakable bond.
After all, we spent numerous hours together in the gym for practices and road trips to away games and tournaments. During Christmas break, we would have our annual team Christmas party at a player's house, where we exchanged gifts for Secret Santa and impersonated members of the team. In addition to becoming close with the players, I became close with the coaching staff.
Coach Williams, Ursuline's head coach, gave me countless rides home after games and practices and even fed me a few times. She was selfless and always put the team before her. Don't be fooled, however. Don't upset her, or you'll be extremely sorry. Coach Hampton, one of the assistant coaches, was the comedian and had me dying from laughter just about every practice. She never came to practice without snacks or candy and would always offer something to me. Coach Candice, the other assistant coach, was the "cool coach" and was loved by everyone on the team.
During practice, she was always caught dancing on the court or walking around the gym to get her steps in. I've always been a huge Beyonce fan, and it turned out that she was a huge fan too! As you can imagine, we always talked about how much we loved her. That's how the Beyonce Committee was born and was exclusive to just the two of us.
My dedication to basketball paid off my senior year as I was awarded the Coach's Award because Coach Williams told me that I was the best manager she had ever had in her several years of coaching. Being involved in any sport comes with several sacrifices that you have to be willing to make. However, I am blessed and grateful for my time as a manager because it gave me the chance to still participate in one of my favorite sports. Can't get any better than that!
