Being tall doesn’t make you good at basketball

I enjoy running. I am a decent volleyball player. I am not a basketball player. Growing up I would occasionally play a game of HORSE with my brothers or dad. I played in PE when we had to. I like watching basketball if it is a team that I care about, but since we don’t have TV that doesn’t happen very much.

Despite my lack of basketball skills I joined our wards women’s basketball team. It gives me a chance to get out and socialize and we have a fun team. When I joined the team the other women assumed that I would be a good player. I think it is because at 5’ 10’’ I am the tallest lady on the team. It didn’t take long for everyone on my team to realize that height does not equal basketball skill. Fortunately they didn’t really care if I was any good and were all just playing to have a good time.

It’s a good thing everyone on our team has that attitude because the only game we won was the one where the other team had to forfeit because they didn’t have enough players. Officially they forfeited the game but we scrimmaged against them just for fun. They still won even though they were playing with only four people and we had a full team with a few extras to sub in.

When I first started playing with the the ward I was pretty clueless about the finer points of the game. Basically I knew you tried to get baskets and you can’t double dribble. But the details like, not staying three seconds in the key, what a jump ball is and the various ways you could foul someone were a mystery. Often players from the opposing team would give me pointers. I think they figured they didn’t have to worry much when they were twenty points ahead. I have learned most of the rules out but I still don’t always know what is going on.

The hardest thing for me in basketball is being aggressive. I am just not really a in your face kind of person. Cross-country and track aren’t really the most aggressive sports. I must have made some progress in being aggressive though because I actually got a foul called on me in our last game. I’m not sure what I did.

Last night was our stake tournament. Since we were seeded last we played the teamed that had the best record. Which meant we didn’t really have a chance. It was a fun game though. The final score was 18-48. And amazingly enough 8 of those 18 points were scored by me. Maybe being tall does have some benefits.