And with that – basketball season 2025 is over!
This year, we had three kids on three different basketball teams- with four different practice times and alllll different game times and locations.
This Mama is tired! But so thankful. We loved basketball season this year!
I have talked briefly about sports here on my blog- after one overly stressful experience of signing the kids up for soccer when they were pre-school age, we agreed that we wouldn’t sign our kids up for any more sports until they were at least school age. We also agreed that we will only do sports through our school, so if the school doesn’t offer it- we aren’t doing it.
Turns out, if the school offers it – the Hines children are interested in doing it. And with that, I have entered my sports Mom era. Haha.
Tera joined the basketball team with the sweetest set of six girls, ranging from 4th-6th grade. Somehow they got put in a “junior high” league and I kid you not, our girls shoulders came up to the waist of many of our opponents. Turns out they were playing against 8th graders half the games of the season. I guess the term “tiny but mighty” would apply here. We didn’t win a single game- but the girls got out there and gave it their all, even if they were half the size and experience level of the opponents. I am so beyond proud of them for cheering on their teammates, getting some balls in the baskets, and improving their game drastically as the season went on. At the end of the season, Tera says she doesn’t like basketball as much as volleyball but that she had fun.
Kiah “played up” this year and as a 2nd grader got onto the 3-4th grade team. This means that he was playing with and against some kids who were 3 years older than him, but he gave it his all and really showed up on the court. He has a very natural athletic talent, but we have reminded him that he also needs to work at his skills to get better, and he proved his hard work ethnic and natural talent this season! These boys showed up and played hard. Unfortunately, they also didn’t win a single game. The boys worked so hard and it was heartbreaking that they didn’t get any wins- they wanted it to so bad and they clearly gave the maximum amount of effort. Kiah loved it, but by the end of the season he was kind of discouraged that his team hadn’t won at all. It was a tough lesson to learn-sometimes you give it your all, and you still don’t win. He was a little bit sad that he didn’t play in the 2nd grade league, because he knew he would have been one of the best ones on the court. But I’m so glad that he played up because I don’t think he would have been challenged or grown so much as he did on his 3-4 grade team! There was one game that Kiah scored a lay-up and it was his first ever game basket. His teammates, the parents, and the coach all went crazy for him! It was so sweet to see everyone be so excited for such a “little” win.
Ezra finally got to play basketball this year after being a spectator brother last year! He was SO excited to practice and play with his Kindergarten friends and their basketball games were the most fun to watch! Ezra also has a natural athletic ability and it was so fun to watch him pick up the basic skills and also add some skills in that he has seen his sister and brother use in their practice and games! We loved the basketball game nights at school- so many people show up to cheer them on! It doesn’t just feel like a junior league- it feels like these tiny athletes are important and celebrated. I can’t wait to see Ezra grow more and more in basketball in the years to come!
I am a little bit sad to see this basketball season go, but I am looking forward to a little less on my calendar. The only other sport we have in the Spring is jump rope for Tera. We are about to get piglets and will have chicks and baby bunnies soon, and will need to spend lots of time on the garden, sunflower field, and mowing…so from the courts to the home fields we go!