Sports Banquet

LO's sports banquet was tonight. Now, last night was Report Card Pickup and we had a hot dog supper. Tonight was a sports banquet. You'd expect it to be different from the hot dot supper, right? Well, life has its little ironies. 

Last year, they had one sports banquet and it took THREE HOURS to give recognition to all the athletes. Thank you! -- this year they decided to have a banquet for fall sports and then one in the spring. 

Each athlete received a certificate for participating, and a brass pin with the symbol for his sport. LO's pin is a tennis racquet. The cheerleaders got megaphones, and the football players got helmets. 

Each sport had awards for Most Improved, MVP, and best sportsmanship. In tennis, it was a given that the MVP would go to both our top two players, first and second seed. Both of them were unbeaten all season. I wondered if LO would receive Most Improved, as she did improve tremendously this season. This award was also given to two players, one 8th grader and one 7th grader.

I have to admit I teared up when she got the award for being the best sport on the team. She often gathered up her 8th-grade friends to go courtside and cheer for the 7th graders in their matches. She encouraged her opponents. She made a point to find them after the match and give them another 'good game.' And in the toughest match of the season, she had a 10-minute argument on the courts over the score. The opponent was misstating the score  -- in LO's favor -- and LO knew that it was incorrect. 

Finally the coaches came out onto court and finally agreed that LO was correct -- that her score was a bit lower than the opponent was saying. 

I. am. proud.

LO before the banquet with the 7th grade players. (LO is an 8th grader.)