Ayden's First Basketball Game

Saturday, December 10th Ayden reported to the gym @ 8:30 am for his very first basketball game. With only a couple practices under his jersey I think Joey and I were the most nervous.

This year we signed him up with the Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Basketball team. Since Ayden goes to school in Mount Olive we figured he needed to play sports with familiar faces. His first practice was on November 28th and he was so excited

 Joey took Ayden to his practice because mom knows NOTHING about sports. I told Joey that I would do the dance thing if he could do the sports thing and Joey was happy with that. 

At practice Ayden met a lot of new people and started learning about the game of basketball.

 

 Now, I do have to admit that Joey had one concern about Ayden's basketball team. 

In our house Joey has taught the boys since they were old enough to talk and walk that they are Tarheel boys..... 

 and it just so happens that Ayden's baskeball team's name was .... you guessed it .... the Blue Devils!

Joey was able to get over it and learned how to cheer "go Blue Devils" :)

After two practices it was the BIG DAY. 

I don't think Ayden realized it was the big game day so he wasn't nervous at all.

 They practiced before the game for about 30 minutes

 

 At 9:00 the team huddled and the game began!

It was amazing watching the kids play!

There was a brother and sister on the team that played the game like they had been playing before they started walking!

 

 Ayden is still learning the game so he didn't play the whole game but he did get to go in a few times.

 

We were so proud of him for having an "assist" which allowed his team mate to get a basket!

See, I'm learning a little basketball language :)

 At the end of the game, his team, the Blue Devils, won!

This day was not only special because of Ayden's game but also because it was one year to the day since Ayden's great papa went to be with the Lord. 

I thought it was such an awesome tribute to his great Papa.

If you remember from my blog from last year God let Ayden know in a dream about 6 months before his great papa passed that he would be going to heaven right before Christmas and sure enough he did.

One year later Ayden was playing his papa's favorite sport.... named after his favorite team.... and they won the game! One of the last pictures I have of Ayden and his papa was Ayden handing him a basketball.

 I know that Ayden's great papa was looking down on him on December 17th cheering him on!