Comfort (?) Inn


This past weekend Julia and I found ourselves in Eau Claire for two days at the UW for eight games of Suns' ball.  The team played quite well once again, won 7-8 for third place out of a 32 team League Championship Invitational. The team is now, for the season, 15-1

with the one loss on sunday to Bloomer, a game lost by only two points.  What you figure out quickly with these rigorous weekend tournaments is that you have to keep track of your team schedule and win / loss brackets to make sure you're in the right place at the right time throughout the day.  The team wins a game, then you get to mill around the auditorium for two hours waiting for the next game, so you have to stay sharp, stay focused, or else you end up in the wrong gym at the wrong time, and there are coaches and teammates looking for you.  Not that this would ever happen to Julia and I, of course, but there are close calls. I thought we were supposed to play three games on sat., but found out there was ONE more at 6:30.  After we won the game the assistant coach said we were set to play sunday at 11:00...so a late night on sat., yes, BUT we all get to hang out and sleep-in sunday so to freshen those eleven year old legs that have been beating up and down the court all day.  This was the last piece of tourney info. I received before Julia and I headed to bed fairly early, whipped, and ready for a little Food Network in the comfort of our Comfort Inn beds.  Morning came.  7, 7:30.  Seems like a lot of noise in the surrounding rooms.  Better shave and take a shower to take a look around and get a cup of coffee.  I poke my head out of the door at 8:00, and there is half the team walking down the hall, dressed in playing uniforms.  "What time is the game?"
"Nine."
"Oh."
"What time should we be at UW"
"Ten minutes."
"Oh.

Juliaaaa! time to get out of bed"


We made it through the fog, snow, sleet and whatever else they could throw at us to the game in plenty of time...at least thirty seconds before mandatory meeting time.  Oops.  We didn't hear the news at 10 the night before about the time change.

The kids played well in the first game, but lost the second.  By the final game, Julia did an excellent 'box out',  worked on her fast break sprinting, and crouching while on D.

We may be tired for a week, still a bit confused on playing times, and hear the squeaking of b-ball shoes in our sleep, but we did get third.