Football season officially ended for Baby Bandit yesterday. He has one more high school season. It was bitter sweet for me though. My first high school teaching experience started as a long term sub teaching primarily sophmore math classes. Well, these are my "first babies" in my book and they are seniors now. **tear** it was a tough season for my boys and it is my 1st real sense of their high school career coming to an end. Most of them do not play a winter or spring sport. Essentially, they are done playing high school ball. I did not even get a picture of them before the season was over. Every time I brought my camera to the game, they lost. I know from past experience, the boys do not want to talk let alone take some dog gone pictures. So I will settle for taking pictures with them at the banquet.



Now that football season is over, Baby Bandit has basketball tryouts on Monday. He is a little nervous because of his experiences from last year. He was even contemplating not trying out. However, I am teaching him we do not operate in fear. We had to have a heart to heart about not trying something new or doing something because he is scared of the worst possible outcome. Yes, he may not make the team. However, what do you have to lose. IF YOU DON'T TRYOUT, then you will DEFINITELY NOT MAKE THE TEAM. But if you try out, then you have a chance to make it. In his case, he has a good chance to make it. He did not make it last year, but it was a blessing in disguise. It taught him he has to go out and work hard at all times. The other lesson is you have to regroup, evaluate, and make changes. Because he did not play basketball, he did start running track to stay in shape for football and loved it! I tried to get him to do it for years.

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I started this posting a few weeks ago. I just hate starting something and not finishing it. So I just decided to continue where I left off.

Baby Bandit made the basketball team. He is on JV, but has the potential to be on the Varsity. Well, if he get his grades together. He is eligible to play by the official standards for student-athletes BUT they are not up to par for GEB. I took his current grades to his coach. The coached asked him for his jersey and told him he will see him when his grades is back to my standards (nothing lower than a 85%). He went on to tell him how important grades are and how they will get him much further than his athletic ability. He had an attitude but he knows he brought it on himself. Since we are on Thanksgiving break, he has enough time to complete all of his missing assignments.  He is too smart for this foolishness. IF it is too much, then he knows what he has to give up. If time management is an issue, then he needs to ask for help. I have offered guidance but he does not want it. So he has to figure it out. The joys of the teenage years!