End of an Era

We went 4-0 in our last AAU tournament. Quite a nice weekend to watch my daughter's team (which I coached) win against some pretty good teams. They did so in convincing fashion but it was bittersweet.
Why you ask? It is the last time I will coach her on a team in basketball.
When she was in first grade I started coaching her team. To see her gradually learn the game and enjoy it was quite special. She grew as a player and as a person not to mention in her height. She made good friends, could look at her game with some pride and was part of teams that in the end had fun.
When she started playing at the middle school level, it was the first team she played on that I did not coach. It was hard not to coach from the stands, but I did anyway (Move your feet! Hands up on defense! Don't reach!) It was great to see her apply her skills to a team that I didn't have direct contact with.
We continued to play an abbreviated AAU schedule and extend her basketball season with her friends. We didn't always do well against these all star teams but the girls never got down and they saw how good it could be and how good they could be. I loved it!
Now we are done and she is into softball full steam; basketball camp this summer and onto high school in the fall. High school, ouch. I will miss working on the skills of basketball in a practice session with her but there is still the driveway and the gym possibly.
I know I will pine away for the days of coaching her. I will miss the early days of teaching how to dribble and shoot a basketball. I know I will pine away for the day I could beat her in one on one, whenever she does beat me. Not too far away....