Carson lives and breathes basketball. He LOVES this game. Carson is arguably the hardest working athlete I have ever known. He is constantly working on improving his game. He plays about 6 days a week, whether it be club practice, private training, league games, or tournaments on the weekends. This past summer we added speed and agility to the mix. Carson has goals. He would love more than anything in the world to play basketball at the college level.
In August when school started, Carson signed up for the basketball class at Smithson Valley High School. It was a rather large group of boys that all had hopes of making the Freshman basketball team in the fall. The JV coach led workouts every day in class and they often stayed after school for open gym. As soon as the school year started, the coaches began to cut people from the class. For the kids that they didn't think would make the team, they changed their schedule to P.E. at the beginning of the year. Carson did really well during this time of evaluation and remained in the basketball class. He was confident that he would have a place on the Freshman A Basketball team.
In October, it was time for try-outs. Anyone could try out for the team, including those kids that were previously cut from the basketball class and football players that were finishing their season. The Freshman basketball coaches were also football coaches and had not been in the basketball class watching the boys scrimmage and practice since August. So, they had very little idea of who the athletes were and who would be best on which team. But, it was their call.
During the 3 day tryout, Carson weathered several cuts and remained confident in his skills. He was sure he would be able to contribute to the SV basketball team. Just 2 days before the 1st game of the season the coach announced the rosters for Freshman A and Freshman B team. To the surprise of many, Carson was placed on the Freshman B team. He was devastated. Don't get me wrong, it is a HUGE accomplishment to make any team at a big 6A high school. Carson was grateful to be a part of the program, but highly disappointed that he didn't make the team he thought he deserved. He was embarrassed. Carson's friends know how much he loves basketball and how hard he works at it. How could someone that plays basketball so much not make the A team?
For several days Jason and I did everything we could to encourage Carson. Although we were sad for him too, we were still very proud. We cried, we prayed, and Carson went to work. I told him that he had a choice. He could either wallow in his misery, lay down, and give up, or he could prove himself to the coaches. In true fashion, Carson sucked up his pride and went to the gym. He gave it his all, even more than before. He was broken, but he wasn't going to crumble.
For about a month Carson played on the B team. He started, played most all of the game, and scored A LOT of points. He looked so good! Several games he scored more than 20 points, boasted double digit rebounds and led the team in assists and blocks. Although it pained him (and us) so much to sit in the bleachers and watch the A team play, we celebrated his success on the court during this time. As a parent, it was amazing to watch our child weather defeat, put his nose to the ground, and rise to the occasion. We were so proud of him!
During the Christmas break, coach moved Carson to the A team! He was ecstatic! Carson had put in the work and proved to the coaches that he was a great basketball player. He won! Then, came the next set of dilemmas. Although being on the A team was the goal, it came with realization that his playing time would be decreased significantly as would his scoring and rebounding success. He would not be a starter, in fact, he might not get much playing time at all. Was it worth it? For Carson, the answer was "yes". He told us, "I'm going to work my way up the line-up." Wow! What 14 year old has that amount of determination and drive? Once again, I was in awe of the attitude and perseverance that Carson was showing. You see, this is life. In life you don't always make the A team. Sometimes you have to work a little harder to reach your goals. But, if you don't give up it can still be a reality. I don't worry about Carson's future at all. He is a fighter.
As expected, Carson didn't get much playing time on the A team at first. But, when he did get in, he played with purpose. He was incredibly efficient. Two 3-pointers in 2 minutes of playing time is just one example. True to his word, Carson began to "work his way up the line-up". Each game he got a little more court time. He scored and rebounded. He was contributing to the Freshman A team in a way that the coaches originally didn't think he could. In several games when the score was close coach put Carson in - why? because Carson can shoot. Carson had confidence in himself and the coach now had confidence in Carson. What an amazing story of belief, not giving up, weathering a storm, and coming out on top. Congratulations Carson! You are an inspiration to me!
