Alyzabeth is my oldest girl, and at 14, she isn't quite "little" anymore. Laura and I had her when we were young and figuring out life ourselves. Not that I have this whole dad thing figured out yet, but with Lyz everything was new. I had a lot of learning opportunities. We have grown up together and try to keep learning. She is a great girl and shares a lot of the same interests as her dad. We both love going to baseball games, playing basketball and any other sport going on at the time.
For anyone familiar with the Compton family, we play to win. We almost suck the fun out of playing we want to win so bad. Lyz is following in her grandpa, dad, aunt, dad's cousins' (Scotty) footsteps. We knew early she was going to have the Compton competitive gene. When she was three, she made sure she counted every memory card to know she beat her mom and I in the game of remembering. She still has that competitive spirit. She does not like the idea that her younger sister has the potential to be taller.
Her love for sports also proves she is a true Compton. She has done everything from gymnastics, to soccer, to softball, to her new found love, basketball. This love for sports added to the desire to win can be a dangerous combination. Believe me, I know. I have lived it myself. I only wish I handled it with as much class and grace as Lyz. More on that later.
Lyz has taught me a lot through the years when it comes to sports. Her lessons so far have come in the form of questions. Why are you yelling at the TV? Does them losing really ruin your day? What are bragging rights, and why do you need them? I am still working through those questions.....and I do enjoy bragging rights!!!
This year was one of the biggest lessons I learned. This year, Lyz's lesson came from watching her in action. Lyz entered high school this year, and November brought us our first taste of high school basketball. In all my Comptonness, I was excited. First of all, the team looked really good. They had only lost 4 games in two years and were set up for another good run. Second, high school ball is about winning. It is OK to root to win. Up until this point, it was about learning the game (although I still wanted to win). Now I could cheer and root to win and not embarrass the family.
Lyz worked hard over the summer to improve her game and quickly became an important piece to the early success of the team. This was going to be a good year. I gave her the dad speech of making sure she played with good sportsmanship, gave her best, was a good teammate, and made sure she was a testimony on the hardwood. I should have listened to my own advice. I mean well, but there is something about a man in stripes that gets me going. I can't let a bad call go, and in my opinion, most of the calls are bad. If anyone has watched a game with a Compton male, you know what I mean.
Half way through the season, the team lost one of their best players. She got placed on another team due to injury, and I was bummed. The team was playing great, and I wanted it to stay that way. The team struggled to figure out their roles in the the games that followed, and the parents, me especially, were growing increasingly frustrated. Why would the AD pull our team apart? The girls can not get over this hurdle!! This ruined our season!
Lyz didn't say a word.
Lyz worked harder to be a leader, and to encourage her team. When she lost, she lost with grace, while her dad vented his frustration to the other dads. When she won, she did it with humility and encouraged her team. When calls didn't go her way, she picked herself up off the floor and ran to the other end while I stood with my arms in the air demanding an explanation (I used my best bad ref material, too).
Lyz never gave up. She didn't complain, or groan about how the team didn't get a fair shake. She didn't even mention the fact the team lost their starting point guard. She worked hard to get better. She stayed later to improve her shot, and lifted to get stronger. She used this challenge to better herself and the team. While parents pleaded for better calls, she and the team played on. They finished strong with a 4 game winning streak and looked like they didn't miss a beat. There is a saying that sports don't build character, they reveal it. The character of Lyz, and her team (Lyndsey, Autumn, Beckett, Sparty, and Kendra) stood out. Well done, Wildcats.
I thought a lot about Lyz last night and about how much character she revealed this season. Lyz lived Philippians 3:14 this season. She pressed on on toward the goal, and did not let anyone get her down. Every time a roadblock was thrown #33's way, she pressed on.
Now basketball is just a game, but the lesson Lyz taught me this season wasn't just about basketball. God doesn't promise us an easy life. He doesn't promise everything will set up and go according to our plan. We could lose a key person at work that requires more of us. We will catch bad breaks and want to throw our hands up and give in.
God does require us to press on. And if we do...He does promise a winning streak when we reach the end.
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