Biddy Ball

Where we live, Saturday mornings in January and February mean Biddy Ball. It's like basketball, but it's more like "itty-bitty basketball" -- it's for kids aged 5-11.



Scott really loves to go to biddy ball. On Friday nights we lay out the clothes that he is supposed to wear and when I wake up early in the morning to take him there (it starts at 8:00am!), I find him lurking somewhere in the darkness in shorts and a t-shirt, ready to go.

The kids rotate through three coaching stations where they practice dribbling, shooting and passing, often with a chance to play a small scrimmage. Scott is still in the youngest age group, but he has played a lot of basketball already, so he does really well. I watched him sink 6 or 7 shots in a row in the drills. In the scrimmages he still plays the game a lot like he plays soccer -- hovering around the perimeter and waiting for an opportunity, rather than charging through to the net for shots. However, even if someone else on his team ends up scoring, he dances and celebrates all the same.

Often I have been pulled in with some of the other dads to help coach the drills. Most of my dribbling drills turn out to be some sort of race. I especially like it when we get all the kids to one end of the gym to play British Bulldog. They have to dribble their ball and try to tag the other kids. It's awesome, but sadly, it's over for the year. Indoor soccer is next!