All-Star

This weekend was the Panda Classic--in other words the Magrath Girls Home Varsity tournament. Alyssa plays on the team and had a great weekend--her best showing yet. Her team beat Mt. Baker from Cranbrook, lost to Winston Churchill from Lethbridge and beat WR Myers from Taber. They finished third. Alyssa scored 11, 8 and 13 points in the three games respectively, but her biggest contributions are on defense and rebounds. She was named player of the game in the Mt. Baker game and was awarded a Second Team Tournament Allstar. This is pretty impressive since she is in grade 10 playing on the varsity team! It is fun to watch her play and witness her development. I don't think she will mind me noting that she was not born a basketball star. I don't think she scored any points in Grade 7 or many in grade 8. She did better in Gr. 9 and is now coming in to her own. Her strengths are  toughness, passion and intelligence. She always plays hard, and always knows where to be to run the play or the defence. She helps organize the other girls on the court to do their jobs too. There are seven grade 10s on the team and they are all doing remarkably well. They have had lots of good coaching this season and in the past.

Teesha Olson is Alyssa's good friend. She was named a First Team Allstar. Incidentally, they are both top academic students and happen to be third cousins. Her grandma, Lois (Prete) Lawlor is my dad's first cousin.

Notice in this caption the size of girls Alyssa has to defend and, in this case, try to score on. Alyssa is not quite 5'7", but she plays post, which means she has to fight it out under the hoop. She very often is matched up against girls over 6' tall.

Alyssa talking to her teammates just before the start of a quarter

I believe Alyssa is scoring in this picture. 

DEFENCE! It is hard for this girl to do much when Alyssa has her guarded so tightly.

Jump, Alyssa! 

Alyssa is playing a zone defence. She is in the middle protecting under the net.