Local Little Dribblers Headed for Nationals
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – Several of our local “little dribblers,” youth basketball teams will be heading to the Little Dribblers’ National Tournament April 5-8 in Nocona, Texas. The teams are getting ready to help parents foot the gas and hotel bill for the tournament by holding local fundraisers in the area.
The Grapeland teams were set to hold a fundraising fish fry Saturday, Mar. 23 on Market Street in downtown Grapeland from 9 a.m. until sold out. The kids will be offering fried fish, french fries, coleslaw or salad, cake, bread and a drink for $15. Or you can help by choosing the fried fish taco plate, which comes with cake and a drink, also for $15.
“We’re trying to help the parents with gas money and to pay for a place to stay at the three-day tournament,” according to Tara Wiley. “We would like to give them each $50 each day to help cover some of their expenses.”
The Lovelady “Major Girls” Little Dribblers look to offset their travel costs to the national tournament by tempting you with homemade banana pudding, made by the girls themselves.
“Everyone always wants dessert for Easter, so as a team, the girls could do banana pudding because it doesn’t need any cooking or baking, just the girls mixing ingredients together and we put it in the refrigerator,” Glawson explained.
The Lovelady squad is particularly honored to be going to the tournament this year, given that half of the ten-player squad had never played the game before and according to Coach Shanna Glawson, needed some clarification on some of the basic rules.
“At the very first practice, I ask the girls some basic questions, so I know where I need to begin, as far as fundamentals and practicing,” Glawson said. “I asked if they could tell me what a foul is? One of the girls raised her hand and said, ‘Is it like a foul ball in softball, when you hit the ball out of bounds?’ I thought, ‘I have a long ways to go with these girls…’”
But the girls quickly got the hang of the game, practicing hard and winning their way to the nationals.
The Major Girls from Lovelady will have the banana pudding onsite at the Crockett Walmart® Saturday, Mar. 30, with a bowl costing $20.
“From where we were, to make it to nationals is an accomplishment of its own. I am very proud of these young ladies,” Glawson said.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
