Great Game

Last night Kristie, Kenzie, and I attended the TRF vs. RLF basketball game. Since we are only two houses away, it was quite simple to head on over, even with our little one all bundled up.

Since I have several of the TRF players in my classes, and since my wife coached the RLF players when they were in 5th and 6th grade (and we are pretty hardcore RLF girls basketball fans), we were looking forward to the game.

And it didn’t disappoint.

Well, the first half did. TRF dominated. However, RLF rallied about midway through the second half to make a game out of it and almost pulled it out despite trailing by double digits for much of the game.

When things got tense, poor Kenzie got scared. I was holding her and our side of the bleachers began cheering and she seized up and started crying. Kristie and I took her out in the hallway where things were a bit more calm.

This was our first varsity athletic event of the year (not counting KoKo’s 8th grade volleyball and basketball games). What I miss most about these games is not so much the game itself but getting to visit with all the other people and parents I only really get to see at these events.

In fact, Kristie jokingly told KoKo that she can’t quit basketball because it gives us a good excuse to get out of the house in the winter and to visit other parents. But there’s a lot of truth to that too.

One of my friends I only see at these games is Lennie. Unless I see him at Hugo’s, I don’t ever get to see Lennie anymore (Kristie used to work with him). So now we have to cram all of our gossip, sports talk, and history of RLF chit-chat into about 90 minutes a couple nights a week.

Really, things have kind of come full circle, for the first RLF basketball game I ever attended was with Lennie. Only I didn’t know him at the time.

He is related to and works with a large farming outfit in RLF. Lennie’s relative was the father of a classmate of mine named Dale. One day Dale invited me to a boy’s basketball game.

This sounded interesting to me, so they picked me up and we headed the three blocks over the high school.

Dale and I spent most of the game exploring the territory beneath the bleachers. And when you’re a kid – if you are old enough to remember those old school bleachers that you could venture beneath – and dread actually getting squished inside of them if you didn’t get out in time after the game when the janitors rammed them up against the wall – there was nothing better than crawling around under there looking for money or just running around like mad. However, we did surface late in the game to find the score tied. I believe RLF was playing Clearbrook.

My one memory is of the RLF coach at the time, and a future social studies teacher of mine, Mr. Matzke putting his arm around an official during a time out to discuss a foul. Of course, once we took our seats next to Dale, his father and mother, and Lennie, we were instantly exposed to Lennie’s scathing commentary on the players, coaches, officials, and pep band. After the time out, I recall Lennie saying, “Ahhh when Matzke put his arm around the ref, that was a little too buddy to buddy for me.”

This is the commentary that I enjoy so much today.

Eventually, RLF pulled it out and we piled into the vehicle and Dale’s dad drove over to my house to drop me off. I thanked them and headed in to the house.

Mom was up watching TV and asked me how the game had gone. I don’t recall the score or much of the details, but I do recall two things before I headed up the stairs for bed: my mom looking very bewildered at her eight year old son when he said, “Ahh. Mom, when Matzke put his arm around the ref, that was a little too buddy to buddy for me.”

We would get a chuckle out of this for quite a few years.