An example of "Pack the Place..."

Click Here to get a visual of what Pack the Place could/should look like.

Varsity Spartans

Our Varsity Girls Basketball Team played great today, and finished 2nd in the Westmont Rotary Club Tournament. With just 3 practices under their belt, the girls played tough ball, and all 3 games were close. We eventually lost to Old Quarry in the Championship, led by their Tournament MVP. Losing is never the objective, but the way we played is, and I'm very proud of my girls. My team is a very good one, and we'll learn overcome any opponent with one or two great players. I'll take my TEAM over any one girl any day.

Congrats to Maura Killian for being named on the All-Tournament Team, too. Any young player looking to learn what it takes to be a better player should ask her - she's poured her heart into basketball the last 12 months, and the results are clear as day. Well done, Maura.

Student Projects - Pirates and Slavery

Please pardon me if I goofed on a credit or two for the project. I wanted to quickly get them up after perusing the students' work this evening. If I made an error, please tell me so I can correct it immediately.

Ever Use an Excuse?

Maybe you should put into perspective what exactly your excuse is. Are you taking advantage of your gifts? Or, quite simply - are you working your hardest, when others in a far less advantageous position than you truly are? All students - give me a 100 word response to this, and you'll earn 10 points extra credit. This message transcends sport - it's a life lesson. How does this message affect you?

Extra Credit due Friday, January 18. You'd better not be thinking about an excuse to skip it.

A Few Good Basketball Videos

Pardon my diversion from the classroom, but I've found a couple great clips to share not just with my girls, but any aspiring ballplayer or athlete.

Steve Nash and "Early Specialization" What do you think that means... early specialization. How does that relate to the clips weaved into the video's start?


Whatever the case... this is why every young athlete should admire Steve Nash, and not LeBron, Kobe, or Melo - "If you want to be good, you've got to practice."

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And another:



Still want to complain that "the spider is hard?"

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And just for fun:



You've got no idea what watching MJ was like. And like this commercial, life almost froze while he played. Every moment was an opportunity for something special, something amazing, something nobody had ever though of, let alone done. Everybody loved MJ, every kid wanted to be MJ, and families watched the Bulls together, even if they didn't like basketball. Jordan made basketball a way of life, and this video captures that for 30 seconds... although Nike's just trying to sell shoes. (And what sweet shoes they were!)

Mike was special because of his relentless work ethic and competitiveness. Yes, he had talent, but hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work. And this was a man who was cut from his small-town basketball team as a Sophomore in High School. It's never too late to start getting better...

Pirates, Slaves, and a Dame!

Projects looked great today... especially in regard to the Mock Trial - those 3 classes pulled off near perfect performances, and a few students' truly got into character... I might start selling tickets in the future :) And the non-Trial work was just as good. The creativity and thoughtfulness of students when given freedom to work is a pleasure to see. Good job to all!