Busy Second Half

The second half of the week was quite busy. It wasn't too packed, and I still managed to get in a little siesta This afternoon.

On Friday, the Fall teams of St. Joseph CYO, which included boys basketball and girls volleyball, had their picture-taking session at School for the Blind. It's an annual activity that CYO puts together to capture those precious sporting moments. What I meant was to capture these players in their fabulous blue and gold uniforms. For the new players, it must be an exciting opportunity. But for those who have done this for the last 6 years or so, the glamour was gone. It had become a routine.

Yesterday was the much-anticipated second game against St. Anne at Chabot College. The game was close all the way, with both teams exchanging leads of no more than 6 points. It went into overtime, and after 3 minutes of play, our boys lost. I really don't want to talk about the details. I am biased. I was disappointed. Hope you understand. A win would have sent us automatically to the Diocese championship, while the rest would have to duke it out for the second championship spot. The lost meant we have to play St. Anne again in a winner-take-all, rubber match, probably on February 9th.

My only observation in this game had to do with karma. In the dying minute of the regulation, St. Anne had the ball, and they purposely ran the clock down until it there was only 22 seconds left in the game. Then, they called time out, still with ball possession. This would allow them to control the offense and make the final shot in the dying seconds. If they made it, we would not have enough time to bring the ball down and score a basket. If they missed their attempt, it was fine, and we would go to overtime. And that was exactly what happened.

In overtime, St. Anne managed to get ahead by as much as 4 points before they played the clock (again). It's a legitimate strategy because CYO basketball does not use a shot clock. Any coach will probably do the same. But I believe in karma. In our first game against St. Anne, we played the clock, too. With a 10 point lead, our coach told his players to "run the clock" with 2 minutes left in the game. And as the saying goes, "what goes around, comes around" (aka KARMA). And that is what happened to us yesterday. The same strategy was used against us, and there was nothing we could do but be disappointed. Frankly, I disapproved of the strategy we employed against St. Anne in our first game. It just wasn't right. It didn't feel right. And now, it bit us in the butt, big time!!! I just hope we play a decent game in the last outing, for everyone's sake.

Today was the start of Catholic Schools Week. We attended the 9:00am mass, sponsored by the school, after which, we proceeded to the school to view the students' school work and projects displayed in all the classrooms. The 8th graders went around with their iPads and shared various video clips of school projects and activities they have made using these devices. In the 8th grade classroom, a video about their iPads ran in the background as parents and visitors went around. For younger students, it was an opportunity for them (and their parents) to get a glimpse of what lied ahead for them in the higher grades.

From the school, we drove to Santana Row for a late brunch with our godchildren (and their parents, of course), which was my belated birthday treat to them. It was still my birth month anyway. Next was the much-needed siesta at home.