August 20, 2011
One of the true highlights in my memory from the 2008 visit was our 3 Generation Basketball Game, and so it was super being able to do it again this time around!
It worked out perfectly too. Kai wanted to go out and play, and so Glenn and I grabbed the basketball and we hit the garage door opener to head out into the street where the hoop is set up, and as the door raised up, there was a white Honda on the other side of it, and there was LeRoy sitting in his car. He had just decided to drop by, and he had just finished eating his lunch in the car before he was going to come inside. So, without planning it, we had all 4 of us together for our game. That was great!
Other than a few games of Around the World with Dotti before her first hip surgery neither LeRoy nor I have played any basketball for a long time. So, I didn't have high hopes for us keeping up with either Kai or Glenn, who both play in leagues regularly. LeRoy still has his youth, something I am unfortunately losing fast. Okay, I admit it, it's gone! Our main advantage is height, with LeRoy standing 6'2" and I am 6'3". Glenn is 5'9" and Kai is around 5'2" and growing fast. In any case, it makes for some interesting match ups. And most of all, it is a lot of fun having the family playing sports together again.
When the boys were still at home, we went out and played basketball quite a bit and it was fun! While I have gotten older and lost a lot of my vigor on the court, the fun is still there, and seeing Kai out there with us is more than worth the trade. He is a good player, and good sport, and I love him dearly! Having my sons and my grandson all on the court with me at the same time is a treat that is hard to top, at least for this father and grandfather.
We played all the possible 2 on 2 team combinations. I had Kai on my team the first game, and he kept us in the game, with some great outside shooting, but we fell short by a couple of points in the end. Then I had Glenn on my team, but both Kai and LeRoy had the hot hand, and they pulled out the win. I think the old man was a bit of an anchor chain, moving so slowly out there, but the kids put up with me. 
The final game I had LeRoy on my side, and I finally had a chance for a win near the end of the game, and I pulled up what was left of my energy and helped (at least a bit) lift us to victory, with LeRoy carrying the load, and burying the game point for the third time in a row that day. (He was incredible on each of those final shots, and he wasn't half bad with the rest of them either. 
)
It wasn't winning or losing, or even playing well that mattered most on this day to me. The tremendous thrill came from having my sons, and my grandson together with me doing something we all love. Fun, deep feelings of love, and memories old, and memories new, being created on the fly, joining together in a magic mix, made to cherish for the rest of our lives. I am a truly lucky man.
Kai is taking a long shot here.
I was very impressed with Kai's ability to shoot from what would have been the top of the key on a regulation court. At 13, I didn't even know the rules of the game yet. It wasn't until I reach high school at age 15 that I learned how to play the game. Kai didn't hit them all, but he hit enough of them from out there to really catch my attention. When he grows up a little more, he is going to move from merely impressive to outright dazzling on the court.
In 1996 Glenn stopped in Vancouver for a visit on his way to his duty station in Japan, and LeRoy and I went over with him to a nearby court and played Basketball. It was the last time I was able to beat Glenn one on one, with us both playing full out, and I considered myself lucky at the time, hitting some outside shots that I often normally would miss. I was 45 then, and he was 25. The years have passed by, and he is almost 40 now, but I am 60, and it shows. He still looks great on the court and he plays in a morning league in Japan. I wouldn't dream of seriously trying to take him on one-on-one any longer. But he takes it easy on me.
I remember that time in 1996 that a couple of local neighborhood guys came along and joined us in a game. They were both fairly tall, over 6 feet, and Glenn is around 5'9". I will never forget watching him taking it to the hoop right past the big guys to score. Very impressive!
At the time, it had been a few years since we had seen Glenn, and it was a nice reunion for Dotti and I as well as for the two brothers to get to know one another again. Clearly Glenn had an impact on LeRoy, because a month after Glenn headed off to Japan, LeRoy enlisted in the Navy, and later he got orders to Japan where the two of them were together for a short time before Glenn transfered to Hawaii.
LeRoy really was on his game this day. He was on the winning team in all three of our games.
And he ended up hitting the final shot each time. You would have thought he was out playing every day the way he was shooting. It was great!
Every story needs some comic relief, and
the old man was doing his part. I felt like I was moving through molasses, and had fumble fingers, but I still had fun!
LeRoy couldn't believe you mad that shot Kai!
Kai, passing the ball off to Grandpa, early in the first game. I can still remember when I tried to accelerate to drive to the hoop,
and how my body objected. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. If I wasn't having so much fun, it would have been depressing.
His photo-gray bifocals were turning dark in the bright sunlight
, his old joints were creaking, but still the old guy was trying to defend against that streak of red, white, blue, and black that was about to blow by him.
Kai's smile tells it all, as his daddy moves past his grandpa, and has a clear shot at the hoop. Whew! I am tired just looking at that.
Here Glenn is lining up another drive to the hoop.
Pulling back a bit you can see that it is Kai who is on Daddy, and trying to defend against him.
Meanwhile LeRoy and yours truly were banging into each other under the hoop no doubt.
Rather than driving into the mess, Glenn sets up for a jump shot outside.
Like father, like son, as Kai is standing at the "top of the key" and about to set one into flight towards the basket.
The ball is on the way. Kai put his whole body behind that shot, and it has a nice arc on it. It just might go down.
As you can see we got a lot of exercise. Glenn was guarding his dad, as I dribbled, and Kai was working to get free from his Uncle LeRoy, for a pass from Grandpa. Fortunately the sun was lower and the temperature was less than the game we had in 2008, and we took a couple of water breaks between games. But when we were on the court we were moving.
LeRoy on the move. Notice he was smart enough to have sunglasses on! The sun was moving down on the western horizon and made shooting from the right side of the basket very difficult, because looking at the basket filled your eyes with nothing but sun. LeRoy hit a lot of shots from out near, or beyond, that white chalk "take back" line.
Let's see, bounce the ball, step, bounce the ball, step…
…I don't care, I was having fun!
This is what we were aiming for. It felt good when they went down. Both of my sons, as well as my grandson impressed me a lot with how they all played.
Play away from the ball. Kai looking to get free, and LeRoy trying to keep the ball away from him.
A moment frozen in time, with Glenn looking for an opening to drive through, Kai intent on stopping him, Grandpa watching to see if Glenn will drive or pass, and keeping himself between LeRoy and the basket, while LeRoy set himself to cut one way or the other based upon what his brother did.
As you can see, losing just one step in speed makes all the difference. My arm wasn't long enough to block that shock. (Well done Glenn!)
Kai has Dad in the air, does he do a quick jump shot over the top when Dad comes back down, or pass it off?
Backing up a bit, we can see that Uncle LeRoy is between Grandpa and the basket, so there is no rebounding set if he shoots and misses.
So, Kai opts for a pass off to Grandpa instead. Soon, Grandpa sends it back to Kai again.
Kai is deciding whether or not he can get the shot off before Dad gets close enough to block it.
One of the good things about sports is that they force you to make a quick evaluation of the situation, devise a plan, and then quickly execute it. Practice beforehand, and learning what works in various situations, helps to make the process work better, but you learn to think, act, and then how to properly react to success and failure in things that, for at least the moment, you take very seriously. Kai is doing awesome in developing the mental skills as well as the physical ones.
No kidding, the fish was really that long! Wait a minute, we are playing basketball, not fishing. 
I was probably showing how far it was that I missed the rim by, on my last shot.
Grandma snapped some good pictures of Kai and I had to include some of them.
Smiling as he is wearing his patriotic, "Stars and Stripes Forever" tee shirt, standing in the evening sun, Kai is a handsome lad.
What a great grandson! He not only plays chess and basketball, but he is doing great in school. And he gives really great hugs too! If he lived next door to us, I don't think I would have much time for anything else.
Glenn looked like he was all business here. I better pass it off quick, or I may lose the ball to those quick hands.
Yes, there is my teammate, Kai!
We are outside of the "take back" line, and LeRoy is getting ready to drive on dad. I can see Glenn's hand and shorts behind me, and he might be getting ready to set a pick on me.
And there goes LeRoy around me. He has a head of steam up. And Glenn has the pick set up on me.
But Kai is there to cut off the lane to the hoop. Good job Kai!
I came down with a rebound and made sure I didn't lose it.
And then I dribbled away. I didn't do too bad "taking it back," dribbling away from the basket. 
Kai is running along with me, so I will have someone to pass it to. I
was going to need that for sure.
Giving the ball to Kai was a good idea, because he made a power drive to
the hoop. He came around my pick and started working past his father.
Here comes Dad, to try and cut him off. Will he make it?
Yes! He gets an angle on the basket and takes it up for a shot.
Well done Kai!
Glenn worked his way open and shot into the sun.
I wasn't close enough to him to even get a jump off to try and block the shot. I sort of gave him a wave near the face to hopefully distract him. But he got off a clean shot.
The ball suspended in space as LeRoy goes up for it. The rebound is all his!
In Massachusetts, we had a basketball court at our apartment building, and we played a lot together. I remember one time, when he wasn't much older than Kai is now, when LeRoy was hitting 3-point shots like crazy and whipping me. When he gets a hot hand, he can be tough to beat. I can still picture him with his ball cap on, and that special grin he had for when things were going right.
Too late, my hands are reaching for the ball also, but the rebound is all LeRoy's. Way to go LeRoy!
Glenn looks all set to do something tricky on a drive to the hoop. Kai looks like he has seen this before and is on his toes and ready to move either direction.
Look at those eyes! Glenn is zeroed in on the basket, and he is driving for the score. Dear old Dad doesn't scare him at all anymore.
Hey, even Grandpas get to have a layup every now and then. Sometimes they can even make one of them.
Eye to eye, the battle is set. Kai wisely has his hand down on the side that his dad will have to go on, in order to reach the basket directly. Always thinking!
LeRoy is moving towards the basket, and I am trying to keep myself between him and the basket. In the meantime, Kai is doing his best to tie up Dad.
LeRoy has worked himself into position to receive a pass from his brother. I am leaning towards the basket in preparation to block LeRoy off if he gets the ball. Kai is still set for whatever is coming. Glenn is about to make his move.
The pass goes to LeRoy, just past Kai's reaching hand. Now the pressure is on me to try and keep LeRoy from shooting in close to the basket.
With tongue perfectly placed, Glenn is driving to the hoop with Kai defending.
Leaving some hair behind, Kai has just started a break to the left in the picture, as I am sending the ball—along with my shadow from the dropping sun—his way.
Kai kept on moving and drove it to the hoop. Dad's hand is out for interference and Kai's eyes are riveted on the hoop.
This is how LeRoy ended the game, shooting up game point and sinking the basket. He really did well!
And Kai hit a number of shots from out at the take-back line too. His skills, both shooting and ball handling, not to mention his defensive ability, have grown tremendously the past two years. Something that impresses me even more, is his excellent sportsmanship on the court. Whether winning or losing, he is a good sport, and I admire that a lot.
I will end with this picture, because it shows the intensity of the games we play. All four of us (yep, even the old man) have the ball in sight and are focused upon it. All motion is aimed in vectors that take into consideration both the the ball and the hoop. Intensity, and focus, coupled with motion.
I hope you enjoyed sharing basketball with the Coons. We sure enjoyed playing it!
Copyright Notice
All site material ©1998-2011 by DWLZ, INC. (Dotti's Weight Loss Zone.) All rights reserved.
I was very impressed with Kai's ability to shoot from what would have been the top of the key on a regulation court. At 13, I didn't even know the rules of the game yet. It wasn't until I reach high school at age 15 that I learned how to play the game. Kai didn't hit them all, but he hit enough of them from out there to really catch my attention. When he grows up a little more, he is going to move from merely impressive to outright dazzling on the court.
In 1996 Glenn stopped in Vancouver for a visit on his way to his duty station in Japan, and LeRoy and I went over with him to a nearby court and played Basketball. It was the last time I was able to beat Glenn one on one, with us both playing full out, and I considered myself lucky at the time, hitting some outside shots that I often normally would miss. I was 45 then, and he was 25. The years have passed by, and he is almost 40 now, but I am 60, and it shows. He still looks great on the court and he plays in a morning league in Japan. I wouldn't dream of seriously trying to take him on one-on-one any longer. But he takes it easy on me.
And he ended up hitting the final shot each time. You would have thought he was out playing every day the way he was shooting. It was great!
the old man was doing his part. I felt like I was moving through molasses, and had fumble fingers, but I still had fun!
LeRoy couldn't believe you mad that shot Kai!
and how my body objected. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. If I wasn't having so much fun, it would have been depressing.
, his old joints were creaking, but still the old guy was trying to defend against that streak of red, white, blue, and black that was about to blow by him.
Kai's smile tells it all, as his daddy moves past his grandpa, and has a clear shot at the hoop. Whew! I am tired just looking at that.
Here Glenn is lining up another drive to the hoop.
Meanwhile LeRoy and yours truly were banging into each other under the hoop no doubt.
Rather than driving into the mess, Glenn sets up for a jump shot outside.
Like father, like son, as Kai is standing at the "top of the key" and about to set one into flight towards the basket.
As you can see we got a lot of exercise. Glenn was guarding his dad, as I dribbled, and Kai was working to get free from his Uncle LeRoy, for a pass from Grandpa. Fortunately the sun was lower and the temperature was less than the game we had in 2008, and we took a couple of water breaks between games. But when we were on the court we were moving.
LeRoy on the move. Notice he was smart enough to have sunglasses on! The sun was moving down on the western horizon and made shooting from the right side of the basket very difficult, because looking at the basket filled your eyes with nothing but sun. LeRoy hit a lot of shots from out near, or beyond, that white chalk "take back" line.
Let's see, bounce the ball, step, bounce the ball, step…
This is what we were aiming for. It felt good when they went down. Both of my sons, as well as my grandson impressed me a lot with how they all played.
Play away from the ball. Kai looking to get free, and LeRoy trying to keep the ball away from him.
A moment frozen in time, with Glenn looking for an opening to drive through, Kai intent on stopping him, Grandpa watching to see if Glenn will drive or pass, and keeping himself between LeRoy and the basket, while LeRoy set himself to cut one way or the other based upon what his brother did.
As you can see, losing just one step in speed makes all the difference. My arm wasn't long enough to block that shock. (Well done Glenn!)
Kai has Dad in the air, does he do a quick jump shot over the top when Dad comes back down, or pass it off?
Backing up a bit, we can see that Uncle LeRoy is between Grandpa and the basket, so there is no rebounding set if he shoots and misses.
So, Kai opts for a pass off to Grandpa instead. Soon, Grandpa sends it back to Kai again.
Kai is deciding whether or not he can get the shot off before Dad gets close enough to block it.
No kidding, the fish was really that long! Wait a minute, we are playing basketball, not fishing. 
Grandma snapped some good pictures of Kai and I had to include some of them.
Smiling as he is wearing his patriotic, "Stars and Stripes Forever" tee shirt, standing in the evening sun, Kai is a handsome lad.
What a great grandson! He not only plays chess and basketball, but he is doing great in school. And he gives really great hugs too! If he lived next door to us, I don't think I would have much time for anything else.
Glenn looked like he was all business here. I better pass it off quick, or I may lose the ball to those quick hands.
Yes, there is my teammate, Kai!
And then I dribbled away. I didn't do too bad "taking it back," dribbling away from the basket. 
was going to need that for sure.
the hoop. He came around my pick and started working past his father.
Here comes Dad, to try and cut him off. Will he make it?
Yes! He gets an angle on the basket and takes it up for a shot.
Well done Kai!
I wasn't close enough to him to even get a jump off to try and block the shot. I sort of gave him a wave near the face to hopefully distract him. But he got off a clean shot.
The ball suspended in space as LeRoy goes up for it. The rebound is all his!
Too late, my hands are reaching for the ball also, but the rebound is all LeRoy's. Way to go LeRoy!
Glenn looks all set to do something tricky on a drive to the hoop. Kai looks like he has seen this before and is on his toes and ready to move either direction.
Look at those eyes! Glenn is zeroed in on the basket, and he is driving for the score. Dear old Dad doesn't scare him at all anymore. 
Hey, even Grandpas get to have a layup every now and then. Sometimes they can even make one of them.
Eye to eye, the battle is set. Kai wisely has his hand down on the side that his dad will have to go on, in order to reach the basket directly. Always thinking!
LeRoy is moving towards the basket, and I am trying to keep myself between him and the basket. In the meantime, Kai is doing his best to tie up Dad.
LeRoy has worked himself into position to receive a pass from his brother. I am leaning towards the basket in preparation to block LeRoy off if he gets the ball. Kai is still set for whatever is coming. Glenn is about to make his move.
The pass goes to LeRoy, just past Kai's reaching hand. Now the pressure is on me to try and keep LeRoy from shooting in close to the basket.
With tongue perfectly placed, Glenn is driving to the hoop with Kai defending.
Leaving some hair behind, Kai has just started a break to the left in the picture, as I am sending the ball—along with my shadow from the dropping sun—his way.
Kai kept on moving and drove it to the hoop. Dad's hand is out for interference and Kai's eyes are riveted on the hoop.
This is how LeRoy ended the game, shooting up game point and sinking the basket. He really did well!
And Kai hit a number of shots from out at the take-back line too. His skills, both shooting and ball handling, not to mention his defensive ability, have grown tremendously the past two years. Something that impresses me even more, is his excellent sportsmanship on the court. Whether winning or losing, he is a good sport, and I admire that a lot.
I will end with this picture, because it shows the intensity of the games we play. All four of us (yep, even the old man) have the ball in sight and are focused upon it. All motion is aimed in vectors that take into consideration both the the ball and the hoop. Intensity, and focus, coupled with motion.
