I'm not really a fan of basketball. I played from 6th grade on, mostly because my sister played and my friends played. So, I guess I didn't want to be left out. Though, I really wish I'd stuck with skiing. Because ski season and basketball season overlapped; you couldn't really do both. So, I played, and then by freshman year, maybe because in 7th and 8th grade we had to watch both teams play; and then in 9th grade when I no longer started on JV, and, we then had to watch the varsity play, I'd had my fill of riding the pine bleachers.
I remember as a 4th or 5th grader, going to the varsity boys' basketball games. That was super fun, not because of actually watching the games. Naturally, my friends and I would go upstairs to the little gym, play around in there, chase boys, run up and down bleachers; and have no idea what was actually going on down on the main court.
Now, when March Madness approaches, I'm not excited. Frankly, I don't care. I don't watch. But, being slightly competitive in nature, and loving a good bet, I do enjoying getting in on the bracket action.
Anyway, back to seeing friends posts, I'm reminded of the time that for a weekend in 1994, my parents were the coolest parents ever! Without any begging, pleading, or outside encouragement, it was March madness of some other kind, and it was a junior high kids' dream!
That year, the Taos boys' varsity basketball team made it to the state tournament. Being in 7th/8th grade meant that I was in junior high; and didn't really know any of the players personally because they were up at the high school. But, having gone to the games, and having kids in my classes who idolized the varsity players, I was familiar enough. My parents decided to take Amy and I on a weekend to Albuquerque to watch the tournament.
It was SO exciting! Going to Albuquerque was a fun thing! There were two malls! Four lane highways! It was THE big city! Best of all, many of my friends were going too, as so many people had caught Tiger fever and wanted to go support the boys.
I wasn't one much for sleepovers, being that I was (and still am) the first one to fall asleep. So I never really had them. Amy never really had them. We would much rather go to our friends' house. Because, let's face it. At that age, everyone's parents are more fun than your own. But for some reason that weekend, my parents decided to book a separate hotel room for me and Amy and one for them. And, told us we could have friends stay with us! What????!!! Realizing our unbelievable luck, neither Amy or I wanted to push it, so we rolled with it. And, the BEST part?! We were staying at a hotel where many of the other Taos fans were staying. I don't think that my parents planned it that way. It just happened to be so, and those three days in Albuquerque were some of the best days of my early teenage life!
We ran amok! I think Amy and I had 4 friends each end up staying with us, because naturally word spread that we had our own room. Three of us to a bed, a couple of girls on the floor, one girl in the tub. It was a room full of girls pumped full of adrenaline, giggles, and the pure glee that you get when going to the big warm city where you finally come out of hibernation and can wear shorts because it's so warm! It was like the 14 year old version of spring break! (Minus the beach and alcohol). When we weren't at the tournament or the mall, we ran back and forth between the pool and the room.
My memories stick out like this: Hey, the pool is filled entirely with junior high and high schoolers from Taos! Oh my god, I just got tossed in the air and into the pool by one of the cute boys from the high school who didn't know I existed! Whoop!!! Who brought their Super Soakers?! Wait, these girls who don't usually talk to me in school are talking to me now? Me? It was pure awesomeness! Full of laughter, splashes, fun, crushes, and the reckless abandon of realizing that your parents aren't watching you full time and you can't quite believe your new found freedom, but like a baby bird you sure as hell are going to fly!
I know my mom my dad will be reading this blog post and fear that the other parents would think them irresponsible and they will say they always knew what we were up to. Which is probably true. And, by probably, I mean that they didn't let any of us take off with strangers, and they knew we weren't going to sneak booze or boys into the room. But, they didn't know how much we reveled in not having them watch us like hawks or putting a curfew on us, or by making us stay in a room with them like we always did.
But, as Amy and I reminisced about this while talking on the phone, we were still in disbelief that our parents actually let us have the coolest weekend ever. I mean it. They're great parents; but, they ran a tight ship. The following year the varsity boys made it to state again, and I think we all were hoping to recreate some of that magic. The players on the court, and us junior high kids at the hotel pool. Sadly, that didn't happen. The team didn't play so hot; and people stayed at different hotels. The perfect storm failed to come together on different levels; but we'd always have that awesome experience from the previous year. So, thank you mom and dad for letting that happen. It was the best March Madness experience ever!
And, since we're on the topic of basketball, here are my player pics, power forward #33 :)
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| 8th grade '93/'94 |
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| 9th grade '94/'95 |
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