Notes on a Cancellation (No Scandal)

On the train to New Haven, can’t put any more work into one of my take-home finals, listening to some solid music and thinking about a few things…

Tonight’s game was cancelled. CCSC and BCCS were off today with schools cancelled all over the area, though not the other Cambridge public schools, interestingly. As such, BCCS could not get its guys (or girls) to our place… Unfortunate as it would have been a good opportunity to work on that which we focused this past week – transition defense with good communication and matching up as well our Manhattan and 13 offense against various types of zones. Against City on a Hill, we didn’t figure out to beat their pressure-heavy 3-2 until the middle of the second half, and even then we had a bunch of turnovers with guys trying to dribble through traps or floating skip passes. In practice, we had seven or eight guys playing defense, in some seriously modified trapping 3-2s, 1-3-1s and 2-3s. The kids began to get it. In reality, it’s about being stronger with the ball, not floating passes and resisting the dribble to attack before the ball has been adequately swing and the zone is struggling to recover. With four or six or even three passes, we were getting lay-ups and open jump shots. Will have to be a focus this entire year and beyond.

Boston Collegiate, our would-be opponent tonight, is likely going to struggle this year, having lost one solid and one remarkably-skilled 8^th grade students who opted to transfer to a school with more renown sports programs. Unfortunate for them. I think they also lost their coach, who got the job at BB&N, coaching football and basketball. We can’t get enough time in the gym, though, and playing in front of fans on the main court would have done us well.

On a related, perspective-gaining note, Orin sent me a picture message with a snap of his newborn son – Gabriel Horace Gutlerner. He was a bit overdue, seriously overdue given that they fully expected him a couple of weeks early (ago), and will mean that O, understandably, of course, is a little less available for late-night hoops strategy sessions and practice planning (actually, maybe he’ll be more available for those things…). Very excited for him and to meet the little man, who will undoubtedly have a killer anywhere-inside-the-arc-and-sometimes-outside-of-it jumper by the end of year two. Or twelve.

That’s it. Practice Sunday in the morning at the Y in Central. Supposed to be terrible weather Saturday into Sunday as well, so we’ll see. I’m done for a bit on the 18^th, which will be and feel wonderful. The last few weeks have been a push and while I at no point have regretted the coaching duties, or the time consumed with practice or long-running, non-functioning-scoreboard games, the extra time to focus would have been helpful.

Until soon…