In early November Landon tried out for the high school basketball team with over 90 other boys. He was inevitably a little nervous the first day but I did my best to encourage him by letting him know that this is all in God's hands. All he had to do was go out there & do his best & God would do the rest. I reminded him that his worth doesn't come from basketball or how well he performs or even if he makes the team. His worth comes from God & the fact that he is a child of the one true King. God gave him his talent for basketball & he could use that platform to serve Him. He could encourage others, be a team player, be a leader all while putting in the hard work of playing the game.
The coach told the boys that the teams would be announced on the school's website early Thursday morning before school. To say that we were nervously anticipating their release would be an understatement. I refreshed the page over & over waiting for the lists & while Landon was in the shower the list was posted.
I frantically searched for his name but his name wasn't there. He didn't make the team.
My heart sank. Landon came out of his room & said "I didn't get it..." Thinking that he was referring to a spot on the team I said, "I know, but you gave it your best & you should be proud of that." He stopped & said "wait...I didn't make it?" He hadn't seen the list, his phone just hadn't refreshed so that he could see the updated team page.
Landon refreshed his phone & scanned the lists of names. In that moment, with my heart still aching for him I saw something in him that has made me more proud of Landon than I have ever been. In a moment of personal loss he wasn't angry, he showed no signs of disappointment, he wasn't concerned about himself or if he had made the team. He was looking for the names of his friends to see what teams they were on. He sent texts congratulating the ones who made the team. He expressed to me how badly he felt for the ones who, like him, didn't make the team.
In addition to the coach's congratulations to those who made the team & his condolences to those who didn't he said that there would be an opportunity for team manager positions. In our discussion of what he should do now, Landon & I talked about whether he wanted to be a team manager. We came to the conclusion that he would go to school that day & talk to the coach about two things:
1. what he could work on in order to do better during tryouts next year
2. if he could be the team manager for one of the teams.
Landon came home & said that the coach was thrilled that he still wanted to be part of the program & a few days later let Landon know that he would be the team manager for the JV team.
Throughout the pre-season & the actual season itself Landon continued to impress me with his great attitude. He showed up for every game. He went to every practice, even the 6:00 am Saturday morning practices. He was dedicated to the team, doing whatever the coach asked him do. He ran the scorebook, he collected the balls, he gave the team water, he learned the plays.
Fast-forward to February.
The JV team was still going strong despite having one kid drop out (almost immediately after teams were created), one move up to Varsity & another leave the team for medical reasons. Landon texted me one day from school & said he needed me to bring his basketball shoes before practice because they were short players & the coach needed him to practice with the guys. This wasn't unusual, Landon had practiced with them a few times throughout the season.
That day when I picked Landon up from practice it took him a long time to get to the car. I waited & when he finally slid into the front seat he turned to me & I saw that he was smiling from ear to ear.
"What??" I questioned.
He asked, "do you know?"
"Know what?"
"The coach is getting me a jersey & I get to be on the team for the rest of the season!" he exclaimed.
His joy was infectious & I cried tears of joy for him. No shocker there, I know.
I truly believe that God's timing is perfect. He knew how much Landon would grow through this trial. Not only did he grow in maturity but he also got to see first-hand just how much God works in the difficult times & is present & has a plan in every moment our lives. Making the team meant so much more to him than if he had just been handed a spot on the roster right after tryouts.
The next game Landon nervously suited up & joined the team on the bench, not as their manager but as a teammate. We watched from the stands as he waited patiently on the bench & then as the coach finally put him in for the first time.
His teammates cheered for him from the bench. I was able to catch his first points as a Bronco on video (please excuse the cheering & the fact that I dropped the camera while it was still on...I was a little bit excited)...
Landon received applause from the parents & students in the stands. It seemed that everyone knew that he was the team manager & that he was finally getting his shot. I even got to share a fun story with Landon after the game. Somehow we ended up surrounded by cheerleaders in the stands. The varsity cheer team was waiting to cheer for the varsity basketball game. Two girls were sitting behind us & throughout the game they were gossiping about a few of the players on the team. I was praying that they wouldn't say anything negative about Landon because the mama bear in me was going to have to exercise some serious restraint to keep from saying something to them & risk embarrassing Landon. Thankfully, when Landon entered the court they stopped everything & I overheard one of the girls say, "wait...the team manager is playing?! That's Landon! Yay Landon!" I breathed a sigh of relief. After he made his first shot the girl said, "Why is he the team manager if he's good?" & then my mama's heart soared as she said, "I'm so happy for him. He's such a nice guy."
That's right, my son is a nice guy.
After the game the coach came up to us & said, "You should be really proud of Landon. He worked really hard. He showed up to every practice & game which is more than I can say for some of the guys who initially made the team." Jenny was quick to reassure him that we were already proud of him before that night.
She's right. We were immensely proud of him before he even made it on the team or scored his first high school points.
Here's what he had to say:
"Friday Night Story (I recommend reading the whole thing). Landon started playing basketball in 7th grade. I got the opportunity to coach him when he got into 8th. With his skill level at the time, I was hard on him thinking he'd been playing for awhile. After the season his father told me he's only played basketball for a season...So we stared working together -- we've been at it for about year now if not more. We would be in the gym twice a week working on his game and he would work on his own too. He told me he wanted to play in high school the next season which then become our goal --prepare him for high school
Now a freshman, high school tryouts start. At the end of tryouts, Landon unfortunately did not make the team. He was offered to be a team manager which he accepted. His work didn't stop there. He still wanted to work because he loved basketball so much, so we stayed in the gym and I told him we have a lot of work to do to get ready for next year.
Today comes 02/07. A couple days ago Landon had updated me saying the team is allowing him to dress for games the rest of the season! With an update tonight after the game, Landon says he hit two 3s and played really really well. The point of the story is never give up on something you really love to do. Landon deserves every bit of this. He showed up to every practice for the team. Showed up to every game for the team then he was given an opportunity. An opportunity that he made count. You might say well it's only two threes. No, it's two threes in a game he wasn't even supposed to play in. It's two shots that we've spent countless of hours working on. Congrats on the night but we both know there's still more to be done!"
Landon, well done. We are so. proud. of. you.
Not because of your ability to score or play the game. We are proud of the man that you are becoming. We are proud of your faith in God & His plan for your life & your ability to trust in Him with all of your heart & not lean on your own understanding. We are proud of the hard work you put in so you can do your very best. We are proud of your compassion for others & how you considered them even more important than yourself. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus in the face of life's trials & you will find that they will all fade away in comparison.
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