upwards season 2015

This was the first year BOTH kids were able to play in the Upwards basketball league.  It was a close call for Noah, the 1st-2nd grade boys filled up fast!  He was on a waiting list, and thankfully Coach Burdon stepped up (as Noah put it in his prayers that night).

Ava "Roo" Coury #15
Team:  Celtics
Coached by: Nate Winegar, Alex, and Hannah

This little girl played her heart out, and wore her game day socks like a champ.  She had a fabulous time with her teammates, and her game improved greatly from last year.  Her coach this year did an outstanding job with the girls.  We wish she could play for him again next year, but this little lady is moving on up to full court!  There were a couple girls she knew from last year, but it was very fun to see her make new friends on this years team.  She scored more baskets this year, had a few steels, played great defense, and most of all had a blast!  See for yourself...
 
Noah "No-Jack" Coury #13
Team:  Bearcats (and yes, it is a real animal)
Coached by: Brian Burdon, Monica, and Krista

Brian keeps trying to get that nickname to stick...aaaaanyway.

As mentioned before, Noah's season was almost non-existent but thanks to Coach Burdon he was able to play this year.  He was beyond excited.  Daddy even did some wheeling and dealing at Big-5 to get him (and Ava) real basketball shoes.  Noah learned at lot and throughout the season he showed great improvement, especially on defense.  What I loved most about watching Noah was his attitude.  He was encouraging to his teammates, helped his opponent out, and always cheered when someone else on his team did well (see video below).  One particular Saturday, however, stands out in my mind.  The game started at 8:30 AM...that's AM people.  Noah takes after his mama and is not a morning person.  He's usually pretty cheerful, just not awake until after 10.  It was Valentine's day and, per tradition, he had a sugary doughnut for breakfast.  Are you following along at home?  Early morning + sugar-filled breakfast = CRASH.  Noah spend a good portion of this game standing at half court staring into space.  It was pretty hilarious, actually.  Brian wasn't as amused as I was so...the next week when his 8:30 AM game time rolled around Brian woke the poor boy at 6:30 AM to be sure he was fully awake for game time.

Below are a couple videos from Noah's season.  The teammates on the court with him were so much fun to watch.  Mikey, Charlie (my personal favorite for his flare!), Ben (Noah's twin), Tony (adorable little guy in the glasses), and Noah.  Enjoy!


At the end of each season there is an awards ceremony. Each team gets to get up on the stage and wave to their parents. There's also a drawing for a gift baskets made up of all the left-over goodies from the concessions. Brian, of course, wins. I never win anything...my husband, wins. Front row parking every single time we go anywhere. Unbelievable. Check out this loot!!!!!