Charlie Basketball

 Charlie has been growing like a weed still!  He averages about 1 inch every two months.  He's now almost 6'1".  Even when I wear my high heels, he's still taller than me now.  CRAZY!!  The bad thing about him growing that fast is that his bones are growing faster than his tendons.  His tendons in his legs are getting stretched, and he has had really bad knee and ankle pain as a result.  His doctor said it is basically tendonitis of the knee.  The good thing about him growing is that his basketball career is looking good.  :)  He made the 8th grade team at Smith Jr. High.  His two friends, Chris and Ryland, made the team too, and they had a lot of fun playing together. 

 Playing basketball has given Charlie an outlet for his energy, a focus for his free time, a confidence in his abilities, and a bond with his dad.  He has had so much fun, and just loves playing basketball.  Chuck loves watching him play, and has gotten so much enjoyment out of tracking the team's success, talking to the coach and other parents, and cheering Charlie on.  The only downside of Charlie playing is that the more he runs on his knees, the sorer they get.  He ices them after every practice and game, and takes ibuprofin when the pain is really bad.  He wears knee and ankle braces when he practices and plays, and that helps a little too.  The doctor said it is just something he'll have to endure until his growth starts to slow down.  For now, he's learning to live with the pain.  I feel bad for Charlie on nights after he's played really hard, and he is hobbling around so sore.  But he thinks playing basketball is worth the pain, so we're sticking with it. 

These pics are of Charlie in his Smith Sidewinders uniforms.  The Smith season is now over, but his coach (who also coaches the JV team at Skyline High School) coaches a competitive league during the off seasons, which has started already.  They practice 3 times a week and play games every Saturday.  So the basketball continues, and Charlie is serious about improving his skills and being a competitive player.  Some of the boys he's playing with have been playing on the league team with his coach for a couple of years now, and they are really great players.  Charlie is aiming to hone his skills and be a great player soon.  As Chuck's dad said the other day, "You can teach skills, but you can't teach height."  Charlie's lucky he has the height (and is still growing), and with hard work, he's determined to improve his skills too.  It is a lot of fun watching him play, and it has been a really good focus for Charlie this fall.