A new Yote

Two years ago, Carter made a goal to make the high school basketball team. He trained hours upon hours. For months, he woke up with Brian (and Bentley too!) at 5am and headed to the gym to train. He's done skills training with our club at least once a week for nearly a year. This boy committed all his energy to making himself a spot on the high school team when the time came. Of course, there was always a chance he would put in all the work and not make the team but he would be able to rest assured knowing he did absolutely everything he could to get to where he wanted to be and the rest would be left to evaluators and coaches. 

At the start of September, Carter and his buddy Nixon, would go play pick-up ball at the school with the grade 11s and 12s for fun on Friday mornings at 7am. This got his foot in the door. Coaches knew his name and who he was. 

Because he was on the football team this year and because of the strike, football and basketball tryouts overlapped. The rule was, if you were on the football team you were not aloud to tryout for basketball. This put a pit in all our stomachs but we knew we needed to respect the football coach and the school athletic director so Carter went and sat at every senior tryout and every Jr. tryout. He sat in the bleachers and watched. This proved that he was committed to making a team.

When his football team won the city championship he got home around 11pm and had his first physical tryout for the senior team starting at 7am the next morning. He was up and out the door and in the gym ready to go at 6:45am. He evaluated good and the senior coach told him that although his skill level could definitely compete with the senior level, he was sending him down to the Jr tryout to compete for a top spot there knowing his body was a little lean for the senior team. 

Carter kept his head held high and did a Junior tryout from 4-5:30pm that same day. By the end of this tryout, there were about 40 kids cut. He had one last tryout the following Monday afternoon. Im fairly certain I aged 10 years during this process. Not because I cared if Carter made the team, I knew basketball wouldn't end at this team for him. I knew he would continue to train and play but because I knew the backstory of it all I wanted it so badly for him. I knew the 5am wake up calls to train. I knew the trials of arthritis he was recently diagnosed with. I knew the prayers for a healthy body for tryouts and fasting we all did. I knew all the doctors appointments and mental war this has been for him. I knew the details that no one else did and his goal to make this team and my heart yearned for him to make it. 

And well, at 5:40pm on Monday November 24th Carter got in the car after his final tryout and said "I made it!" 

I could have cried! We both felt an intense amount of relief and excitement. HE DID IT! Carter, despite all the trials you were handed and the pain you have felt, you did it!! You set your goal and you won. We are so unbelievably proud of you!! Congrats buddy! 

Months ago we were given a handful of school gear from a friend who was moving away this fall. Basketball hoodies and shirts plastered with our schools name. We have had it put away in our closet as not to jinx anything! It was so fun to pull it out, put it on and cheer in the stands for our sons first ever high school basketball game! 

We got to be there together for his first high school bucket, first game win and felt right at home knowing our boy is literally living his dream right now. He is a impact player and we are so proud to say "Our son is Carter.. number 5". 

They played their first game in a tournament this weekend and won silver in the final championship game. A GREAT start to the season. Carter was the first one there, ready to go! 

In this tournament, Carter even got a running buzzer beater 3 and the team and crowd erupted! It was so much fun!! Me and my favourite bench-buddy, Bri, got to be there for it all. 

Im so happy it ended up the way it did and that after the most intense week of tryouts there is a new Yote in the house! 

Carter, we are so proud of you! Not just for making the team but for dedicating yourself to a goal that you wanted and doing everything in your power to get it despite the challenges you faced. You are incredible and I hope you never forget it! 

Here's to a season of growth, learning and cheering from the stands for our guy. LETS GO YOTES!