The Pink Ladies

Note: This post contains a picture of me as a cheerleader and bonus video footage!

Unlike LJ, who is a seasoned veteran of youth basketball and soccer teams, Julianna has not really participated in team sports until now. She was on a recreational soccer team called "The Blast" with some other 4-year-olds, but that lasted about two weeks.

The team name, incidentally, was a misnomer.

During the second soccer game (and I use the word game loosely to describe a mass of small children flocking to the ball like moths to flame), she came running off the field red-faced and near tears and proclaimed: "Mommy, I don't like sports. I just wanna dance!"

Honestly, for a moment I thought she could not possibly be my daughter.

But she was clearly miserable and since we did not want to cause any (further) irreversible psychological damage to our little princess, we let her quit the team. Fortunately she seemed to get over the experience quickly, as she proudly accepted her participatory trophy a few weeks later. She still has it displayed prominently in her room.

So after two years away from team sports, we decided to give it another go with Upward basketball. Julianna actually wanted to be an Upward cheerleader instead of playing basketball. But since I assume that genetics play some role in cheerleading talent, I said no. (Some of you will recall my embarrassing six-month stint as an eighth-grade cheerleader at Ravenscroft, which provided my brother, TJ, incredible fodder for his stand-up comedy routines).

Tonight was Julianna's first basketball practice, and she plays for the Tigers. Choosing her "outfit" for practice was a big decision, and she ultimately decided on pink sweatpants and a pink t-shirt. And while Julianna was agonizing over which pink t-shirt to wear, LJ was in the background shouting: "Juli, you CANNOT wear pink to basketball practice. You are a Tiger and Tigers should wear orange!

Well, Julianna wasn't the only one in the "wrong colors" at practice. Out of the 10 girls who play for the Tigers, two were wearing uniforms, one was wearing a skirt, and SEVEN of them were dressed in pink.

Maybe instead of the Tigers they should be called "The Pink Ladies."

And a quick glance at the names on the roster is unlikely send any shivers up the spines of their opponents: Haley, Kenan, Bailey, Tessa, Kate, Christina, Julianna, Abby, Kailee, and Gracie.

Not exactly monikers like "Psycho-T," "The Diesel," or "The Answer."

In fact, five of Julianna's teammates names end with the "ee" sound, and that just isn't going to induce fear in the hearts of others.

Despite not being allowed to wield pom-poms in basketball practice, Julianna seemed to enjoy herself. And I think she made a couple of new friends.

Besides, even if she doesn't end up loving the game of basketball, at least she has one thing to look forward to ... Picture Day is on Feb. 14.

Learning how to bounce pass:

LJ, #14, the Heat's franchise player in 2008:

We've got spirit!:

This picture must have been taken after that BC game: