Basketball Diaries

I hope you are all enjoying our faux-winter, and get ready for a week in the 70s and maybe even a day of 80.  I just hope the weather pattern doesn’t change so much that it starts snowing in the summer. 

The main focus of my blog is education, and I will get to some school information later in the post. 

I will start this blog with some information about Jeremy Lin.  I mentioned in my last blog that “Linsanity” was everywhere.  Actually, it’s not everywhere, but it is especially hot in New York, Taiwan and China.  For the uninitiated, Linsanity refers to Jeremy Lin, the new New York Knicks point guard, Jeremy Lin, a devout Christian, is the first Chinese American to play in the NBA.  Lin was a superstar at the well-known basketball powerhouse Harvard University.  For some reason, despite his success at Harvard, when he graduated from Harvard in 2010, Lin did not receive a lot of love from NBA Teams.  Lin eventually signed with the Golden State Warriors, and he played in 29 games and then the Warriors cut him.  Lin then signed with the Houston Rockets, and the Rockets cut him, too.  Finally, after the NBA lockout this season, the New York Knicks signed Lin.  The Knicks assigned Lin to a “Minor League” NBA team in January, and then they recalled Lin to New York.  But, New York did not play Lin much and they were about to cut him.  However, a couple of Knicks were injured so New York was forced to give him a chance.  At the time the Knicks were 8-15.  Lin proceeded to score the most points in his first five starts than anyone else in NBA History, and the Knicks won seven straight games.  Unfortunately for the Knicks, they are now on a losing streak, but that’s not the point of this story.

What is the point and why does this matter?  Well, I love basketball, so it matters to me.  But more importantly, it matters because Lin’s success epitomizes many of the lessons our education system and society strives to instill in our children: persistence, excellence, passion, defying stereotypes— are all part of the story.

Many people looked at Lin and assumed he could not succeed in the NBA because of certain assumptions, including his intelligence and his ethnicity; however, Lin has a passion for basketball and he decided that he was going to work as hard as he could, in the classroom and on the court, to achieve his dream. 

Equally as important, his parents and many of his teachers supported and encouraged him.  Lin is quoted as saying many of his mom’s friends said it was crazy for a Chinese child to waste their time playing basketball, but after Lin was accepted to Harvard, some of those same friends wanted to know how their children could start playing basketball.  Lin may turn out to be a perennial All-Star or he may just be a “regular” NBA player.  Either way, he is living his dream and he is already a success.  His story has already inspired many sports fans, and he is already a hero in Taiwan and China.  Lin’s story is the type of story that does not happen overnight.  It happens with hard work, dedication, encouragement and perseverance.  I salute Jeremy Lin and wish him well both on and off the court.

I also salute the Osbourn High School Boys basketball team, which reached the Virginia State Tournament for the second consecutive season.  Their season ended with a loss to Hampton last Saturday, but that loss does not define who they are or diminish what they accomplished. High school sports are just another classroom for student athletes and I hope the OHS basketball teams, and all athletes that compete, take the lessons they learn from competition to heart and use them to help fuel their future success in the game of life. 

Congratulations to the coaches and parents for their efforts, the administration for their support, and congratulations to the basketball team for representing OHS and the City of Manassas with distinction, class and pride.

I would also like to salute the Metz Middle School Robotics team.  I attended the Central Division Qualifier event at Metz on Saturday morning (March 3), and I was quite impressed with the Metz team and their programming skills.  I am sure the academic skills the team attains enhance their education.  I am also sure that, like athletic teams, the Robotics team will glean many lessons about competition, cooperation, working towards a common goal which will serve them well in school and in life.  Keep up the good work.  I also have to give a shout out to the teachers and parents who volunteered to work to help with the competition.  I hope I didn’t miss any teachers who were there (and I apologize to those I did not see), but thanks Mr. Newman, Mrs. Graham, Ms. Higginbotham, Mr. Riley and Mrs. McKinney for your efforts.

And finally, some School Board stuff.  The Board has been working diligently on the budget for Fiscal Year 2013 (FY 2013), which covers July 2012-June 2013.  We have received some constructive input on the budget thus far and will continue our work this week.  Come on by to some of our meetings if you want to learn more about the budget process.  The Virginia General Assembly has not completed their budget yet, and it would be kind of helpful to the School Board’s budget process to know what money the state will allocate to localities.  Stay tuned. On Tuesday, March 13, the board will hold a public hearing to obtain input on the search for a new Superintendent for Manassas City Schools.  The hearing will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Have a great week and enjoy March Madness.  Both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament should be great to watch.  For you true fans looking for an under the radar star, on the women’s side, check out Elena Delle Donne of Delaware.  Delaware has never won a post-season game, but that will change this year.  The Blue Hens are 30-1 and on a 20 game winning streak.  Delle Donne has an inspiring story and will help Delaware make a lot of noise.  She is a skilled player who decided to stay at home and play college ball in her home state, so she could be close to her sister (who was born deaf, blind and with cerebral palsy).  For another inspirational story, on the men’s side check out the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.  Their coach was fired mid-season, but they bonded together to win their conference tournament and make the Big Dance with a record of 15 wins and 18 losses.  And if you want some advice on filling out your brackets (women's or men's), shoot me an email.  Until next time.