The Final Four Is Finally Here

I thought about my Grandpa Taylor on the way to work today. This time of year always makes me think about my family. That's because it was my family that introduced me to basketball, and it's why this time of year is so special to me.

In 1986 my cousin Terry Bell, my hero, was a junior for Scott County Central. I was in the second grade. My Aunt Lisa and Uncle Ronnie drove me to the game that day. We went with a bunch of other aunts and uncles. I remember riding in the floor of their van, and we listened to "We Built This City On Rock and Roll" by Jefferson Starship about 50 times in a row, mainly because I kept asking my Uncle Ronnie to rewind the cassette tape LOL.

I also remember that one of my aunts (maybe Aunt Donna) put a quarter in one of those machines by the door in a restaurant, and I got this really cool "Return of the Jedi" ring. I think I wore it the whole trip. We won the state championship later that day, in triple overtime, and I've loved basketball ever since.

For the next several years, I bummed a ride with anybody who would take me to a basketball game. I remember my Uncle Kenneth taking me and my cousin Kenneth to games at Scott Central. I remember riding with my Aunt Roxanna to the state quarterfinal in 1989, when my cousin Jason played on the team.

But the person I rode with the most, and my favorite person to go to the games with, was my Grandpa Taylor. As I got older, he liked to come and watch me play, too. He died the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. The rest of my family would come and watch me play, too. My Aunt Lisa used to record the radio broadcast of the games that she couldn't go to. She died in the middle of my senior season.

So today is a special day for me, because I love basketball so much. When people ask my why I love basketball so much, I laugh and say that "I love basketball like you love a person." That's a funny thing to say, but it's so true because basketball is something that my family gave to me. And I guess because of where I grew up (Scott County Central) and how frequently we went to the Final Four (either our girls or boys team went from 1979 to 1995 - 17 years in a row), this time of year is almost like a religious experience for me.

And I can't help but wonder... How many little kids in our school, who are experiencing this for the first time, just like I did back in 1986, are going to love basketball because of this? And not just from our school, but little kids from Advance and Oran and South Iron and Walnut Grove... how many little kids are going to see this for the first time and LOVE IT?

That's why I thought about my Grandpa Taylor riding to work today, at 4 am, so excited that I couldn't possibly go back to sleep. The Final Four is here. Our school is taking a team of 6 girls to play in it.

My Grandpa Taylor sure would think this is a neat story. If he were still here, he'd probably be on his way to the game, with me riding shotgun.

Good luck to all of the teams this weekend.

#JWT #FinalFour