The Arborbrook Basketball Program started in November with conditioning drills in the school parking lot. We did not have a gym available, we did not know if we would have enough girls for a team, and we were not sure how many boys really wanted to play. We did know we were starting with limited basketball experience and little basketball knowledge. If you would have told the coaches that these two teams would both win trophies in a season ending tournament, we would have said: “Yea right. I own part of the Golden Gate Bridge too.”
What an unbelievable year. We all traveled the same road together and when I look back, I don’t even have a word to describe this year. I have been involved with sports my whole life either playing or watching my sons participate from the time they were 5 years old up through college. I have never seen a fan base like Arborbrook. It started in the first game against Garr and continued to build throughout the season. We doubled or tripled the opposing team’s fans on their own home floors. We were always much louder and this support energized our players. Everything peaked the last game of the tournament. The boys and girls were scheduled to play back to back. The entire gym was for Arborbrook. The noise level was deafening. ARBORBROOK bounced off the walls. On behalf of the coaches for both teams and the players for both teams, I would like to thank our fans for the support thay have given us from day one. You are awesome. Your commitment to the basketball program and your support was a major part of the success we experienced this first year.
Sports is all about statistics and so I will share a few with you. We finished the season with 9 wins and 6 losses. We played 7 games against high school teams and came away with a very respectable 5 and 2 record. We won 7 out of our last 9 games after losing 3 of our first 4. We won 7 games by less than 10 points, 5 by less than 4 points. We lost 3 games by less than 6 points. We scored 577 total points and gave up 569. Nate Johnson scored 308 points followed by Trey Barnes with 60, Mitch Moore with 58, and Josh Black with 54. We were invited to participate in a high school tournament as a play-in team and finished in 3rd place. These are just numbers. Here are the statistics that really matter.
We learned how to play basketball. We learned to never give up and to play with all your heart. We played for the glory of God. We represented our parents and our school well and were called a “class act” by an opposing coach. We learned their are consequences for our actions both on and off the court. We learned we had to be worthy of respect. We learned to work hard all the time. We did all this and still had fun. These are the only stats that count. Basketball is only an opportunity and a means to prepare students for life. That was our goal. Time will tell if we were successful.
I thought the three Lake Park games would be the highlight of the season but I was wrong. I have never been involved in anything like THE SHOT that ended the season. I will remember that moment forever and I am so thankful to have been a part Arborbrook’s first basketball season. Parents, you have done a wonderful job raising you children. I have never been called “sir” so many time in my whole life. I thought I was back in the military service. It’s hard to believe the seson is over, it seems like it just started. Coach and I started discussing next year right after the final game. For now, all future teams will be measured against this team. The legacy established by the 2007/2008 Arborbrook Falcon Team: They played with all their heart and never gave up. They were a “class act.”
