We Will Be Legends

Just so everyone knows: AWANA Class of 2008 is now the most decorated class in Grace Covenant history.

Journey's Local Competition was today. I was not as nervous as I have been in previous years because I've been here before and I know what we have to go in and do.

I didn't go to quiz because I wasn't doing it. I saw our A team get first place though so I'll Whoop to that! If you want to know the story, go to Shaney's blog. But quiz wasn't really my concern, even though I am excited for them. I'm all about games. So here is what happened.

This year, we had 3 out of the 6 teams that were there. The other three were Skyline Baptist, First Baptist New Braunfels (I think), and, of course, our bitter rivals, Manchaca. Usually, there are a couple of flights (each with three different teams) and the first place teams automatically move on, while the second place teams duke it out to get into the next round with them. This year, the changed it up. We played on round of ten events, then another round of five events. The three teams with the highest cumulative score at the end of the two rounds would move on to the finals.

So we went into the first round as the green team. The blue team was Manchaca Bible and the red team was Skyline Baptist. The first event was basketball relay. Our girls won, the guys got DQ'd because apparently my foot was outside the triangle, and we won team basketball.





Next was sprint relay and we owned it.




Our girls tug team won, and the guys won too. Andy and Rebecca scare the crap out of me when the reach. If either of them try to do at Summit what they did at locals, they are going to get destroyed. I don't actually remember the order from here, but here is what happened in the rest of the events. Sprint race Rose and Jeff both got second place. In Agility, Rachel Wohl got first Arielle DQ'd, Brian got first, and I DQ'd. In Beanbag Bonanza, the girls won and the guys DQ'd when Brian's foot turned and he knocked the center pin over. Marathon Race came and Arielle DQ'd, but Ben actually won. Three Legged Race, Rose and Shaney got second, but Brian and Jeff fell on the slick floor and DQ'd. Marathon Medley, we whooped butt. Balloon Relay, the girls let the balloon go "out of the play area" whatever the hell that is because it's not in the rule book. I'm pretty sure they made it up. Balloon Relay, we're still not sure who it was, but someone let their foot go over a line as they were passing so we got DQ'd again. This ended the first round and we had 8 points less than Manchaca. If we had won either of those Balloon Relays, we would have had +6 points, Manchaca would have had -3 (they would have gotten second which is still 3 points), and we would have gotten first place on the circle. But we didn't. So we went into the second round.

Guess who the two teams we went up against in the second round? Grace Covenant B and Grace Covenant C. We won every game, except girls basketball, in which we tied for first. The boys balloon was probably the only interesting event we had. We won by two people, but Grace Covenant B got stopped for resetting, which is legal, and Grace Covenant C was third. They decided to rerun the event, including us, which meant that we had to go back and try to win again, which wasn't even close to fair for us because it was blatant that we had won that round, even if they had not been stopped. But we ran it again and I ran in and hit the pin pretty hard. Hard enough for my pin to go screaming into the green team pin and still continue on until it was all the way to the bleachers. Then I had to jump over Josiah who dove into the center. I thought we might have tied that round, but they gave us first anyway, probably because we had won the first round.



So the officials added up all the points and, wouldn't you know it, it was a four way tie between Grace Covenant 1, Grace Covenant 3, First Baptist New Braunfels, and Manchaca Bible. Only three teams could go on so they decided to have each team play the other three teams three times in team basketball. It was insane. This was the best part of all of games.



The first round, we went in and, didn't DQ, but I had a bad pass to Rose and her pass back to me fell in no man's land between us. Jonathan's long arms managed to get a finger on it and give it enough momentum that I could just barely reach it and we kept going. We got third, which is equal to no points.



The second round, I had some awful passes and we got second.



We sat out the third round while the other three teams played each other and I noticed, brilliant observant that I am, that Rose was crying. I kept telling her that it was my fault, I had a bad pass, which was entirely my fault and not her's. She was crying too much to play so Rachel Wohl went in and we managed to pull it out and win.

Everyone was freaking out because we had done horrible the first round, amazing the second round, and horrible in playoffs. We didn't even know if we were going to move on or not. Turns out, we did. by the skin of our teeth.

We went into the finals and there was nothing interesting to report. We completely destroyed Manchaca, only losing one game.

So there you have it friends. Grace Covenant has won locals three years running.


NOTE: I have the videos from the three basketball relays in the four way tie, but I need time to upload them.

Scratching Vinyl

Tonight was beautiful. It was perfect and, therefore, exactly what we needed. I was completely exhausted (I have no idea why), but I fought back the urge to hurl (probably nervousness) and pressed on at the beginning. After we started playing the games in the order of Summit, I felt much better because I wasn't standing in a perpetual lunge with my left leg.

Starting out in basketball relay, we didn't do horrible. We had a couple mistakes, but we got rid of them like Soulja Boy got rid of the need for English and purpose in rap songs. My bounce passes felt a lot faster. On Monday someone had said "If we had Marcelo's chest passes with Brian's bounce passes, it would be perfect." Tonight, the same person said, "We're getting these times because Marcelo's passes are so quick. It's us on the line who aren't doing so well." That made me laugh a little bit, partly because it's not true, and partly because I thought it was funny that in the space of 4 days I had sway the person's mind.

We went through all the games and we did well in most of them. There were a couple of mistakes and we can improve our times for sure, but it wasn't awful. However, we also broke two records. I don't even remember the events. I think one was team basketball relay and the other was boy's balloon. So now we have momentum going into Saturday. I can't stand it! I'm excited, despite the fact that this is my last locals competition.

Ice Age: The Meltdown

We've had a relatively undramatic year thanks to no Amber and no Daniel. This also means we've all become complacent and apathetic. I had a fit the other day because we were doing terrible. Today, it was the girl's captains turn to breakdown. Apparently, the girls aren't improving. Arielle was already in a pissy mood so that essentially broke her and she ran away and hid in the girls bathroom. The guys are improving a little, but we need to run through every game about 100 more times with the entire team. People can only go as far as their potential allows them. That very well may be the case here, but I seriously doubt it. We need to pinpoint exactly why they aren't improving as they expected they would so we can fix it. Easier said than done.

Your Lack of Presence

For the love of God people... SHOW UP FOR PRACTICE!

We had three of six summit guys again. This is starting to aggravate me because we are NO where close to where we need to be. We need to practice and we can't do it if half the frickin team is missing!

If you DO decide that this is a worth cause, I ask that you actually give it a little effort. The next person I see lying on the floor instead of doing push ups will get a kick in the side. If you are a girl, I will have Arielle do it. If I see you lying down DURING TUG, I will do the same. I am sick of this half hearted "go through it once and take a break" crap. I'll be damned before I allow someone who gave no effort play on this team, that is unfair to the rest of us who actually want to play and want to be better.

If athletics aren't really your thing and you keep messing up, but are actually trying, that's one thing. But if you are giving it very little effort because you think you are good enough as you are, you need to wake up. None of us are as good as we are. I need to work on my agility, Ben needs to work on his strength, Andy needs to work on endurance, Jeff needs to work on technique... EVERYONE NEEDS TO IMPROVE! Myself included! If people don't actually roll up their sleeves and start putting some effort into their workouts and getting better at these games, then why the hell are we even competing? It's a frickin disgrace! Do everything as if to the LORD and not to men. Is this how you would practice if you were doing it for God? I hope not! If He told you to go out and do your best in the competition, would you practice like this? NO!!!! There is a reason practice is harder than the game. When we get to the game, it will be a no brainer! For those of you who won the last two local competitions let me remind you that you had people like Michael and Daniel to fall back on both years. This year, you don't. YOU actually need to step up and be a player and start practicing like you WANT to win.

If we don't win, it's fine, at least we tried hard. If we don't win because half of my team gave a little half-crap effort in practice, THAT is a problem and you will be hearing about it.

I'm dead serious... One more person decides that he/she doesn't need to practice, and he/she will find my/arielle's foot in their ribcage.