So I figured it was high time to get my act together for the girls’ basketball season this year. Last season? Total mess. Forgot two away games completely ’cause I jotted the dates on some random sticky note that vanished. Rookie mistake, right? Never again.
The Shoe Box Incident
My first bright idea was simple – just grab all the schedule slips, emails from coaches, and league updates, and chuck ‘em into a shoe box. Felt organized for about five minutes. Then came the day Coach Mary texted, “You got that tournament time handy?” I dumped the whole box out on my kitchen table, spilling cold coffee everywhere. Papers fluttered like confetti. Took me 45 minutes just to find the dang November tryout dates. Dumbest system ever. Felt like I was wrestling squirrels.
Spreadsheet Nightmare
Alright, tech time. Pulled up a blank spreadsheet. Sounds pro, yeah? Nope. Started typing in all the games: “Union High vs. Lincoln, Dec 5th, 5pm.” Easy. Then the away game addresses. Then bus schedules. Then make-up day notes… cells exploded like popcorn. Scrolled sideways for days. Got dizzy. Forgot January’s game dates even existed ‘cause they were hiding off-screen. Closed the laptop. Stared at the ceiling. Felt like I needed a GPS just to navigate my own dang schedule.
The Wall Calendar Resurrection
Went old school. Dug out my kid’s giant wall calendar – the one with puppies on it. Uncapped my thick red Sharpie. Wrote each game in huge block letters: “AWAY: MORRISTOWN. JAN 16. 7 PM.” Filled it up quick. Felt powerful standing there, Sharpie fumes in my nose. Until January 5th rolled around. Looked up at the wall. “SCRIMMAGE VS RIDGE”. Sharpie bled through the cheap paper. Now “RIDGE” looked like “BLOOP”. Useless. Grandma couldn’t read that.
Phone Calendar Miracle (Mostly)
Fine. Phone it is. Started plugging dates into the calendar app like my life depended on it. Every game, every practice. Even set alerts – one day before, three hours before. Felt smug. Until February’s snowstorm. County postponed everything. Got six separate texts from angry parents asking about the rescheduled Central High game. I’d missed an email update. Frantically scrolled my phone… now March looked like alphabet soup. Still better than the shoe box. Mostly.
Here’s my final cheat sheet though – the absolute non-negotiable dates burned into my brain now:
- Tryouts Hurt: November 14-16 @ Gym C, 4-7PM. No excuses.
- Home Opener Party: December 5 vs. Lincoln, 5:30PM. Be loud or go home.
- Tournament Trap: County Classic starts Jan 24th. Three back-to-back games. Pack snacks.
- Senior Night Tears: March 3rd vs. Westfield. 6PM. Bring tissues. Seriously.
Is it perfect? Nah. Still gotta check my phone like it owes me money. But at least I ain’t digging through shoe boxes anymore. Small wins, people. Small wins.