Post #3: Homeschool Basketball Update

    I was hoping this post would read "TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS" followed by a long rant and synopsis about how our team of defending champions once again swept our league tournament!  But...this year that wasn't the case.  Instead, our varsity girls team sauntered into the championship game with two wins under there belt only to face, once again, the Lions.  The battle of hometown rivals was on!  For us, this game has always been a challenge, not because of any coach, fans, refs, or incredible teamwork or lack thereof, but because of one player, Peyton.  She's not just any player, no, Peyton has actually been on the ESPN high school watch list and has committed to play two different sports, volleyball and basketball, at a top Division 1 college in the Big 12.  Impressive, right?  She's not just your average small Christian school player, and what's interesting to me is that she hasn't gone to a public high school, even though they, undoubtedly, offer stiffer competition and increased opportunity for improvement.  This is another example that crushes the myth that in order to play D1 and get recruited, you have to play at a public school.  Anyway, I digress.  Back to the league championship game at Grandview Christian!  The first half was an exciting, close game, but unfortunately for us, Peyton and her lions pulled away, with her smashing performance of 20+ points and a staggering amount of rebounds.  Oh yeah, did I mention she was over six feet tall??  In the end, though our team lost, I am happy that she was privileged to win her last game as a high school senior, and I am excited for her as she reaches new heights in college!  She is a very sweet lady, an amazing basketball player, and I wish her the best! Below is one of  the locations of where our tournament was held.  Players from our girls varsity team received awards for 1st team, second team, and honorable mention of the league at the tournament!  So proud of them!  Now on to ND2 and Nationals!

Post #2: Myth Number One

Photo Cred (Diana Holloway)

Photo Cred (Diana Holloway)

  Homeschool Myth Number One: Being homeschooled means you cannot play sports.  As you can see from the pictures, I have been privileged to be a part of some pretty special sports teams, particularly volleyball, basketball, and soccer.  Yeah, homeschool teams are not always as competitive as public or private school teams, but did you know that some of the best players (especially in basketball) have come from homeschooling backgrounds??  Just as an example, if you watch NCAA Div. 1 basketball, like I do, and are a fan of the BIG 12 conference, you know that Oklahoma has several talented players on their team, and they even have a top prospect for player of the year!  Forward Khadeem Lattin is a valuable asset to the team who plays a lot of minutes, and he actually comes from a homeschool group from around Houston.  In fact, he even played in the same national homeschool tournament I played in this past year!  Pretty cool, right?  While my homeschool group does not have quite the same talent level as his does, my team did win the championship in our bracket at the tournament!  It just goes to show that you cannot judge a book by its cover, and that there are a lot of opportunities for homeschoolers out there if you just take a closer look!  The pictures show me enjoying one of the best years I've ever had playing sports where we won third place in our volleyball league tournament, first in our basketball league tournament, and only lost three games during our soccer season.  Playing sports has been such a blast!  I am so very grateful for the opportunities my homeschool group has provided me.





Introduction

     I'm homeschooled.  Er--I was homeschooled.  Until this current and past semester, I had been homeschooled my entire life.  Yes, my entire life.  Since the day I was born, I have never been enrolled in a public or private elementary or high school.  Never.  Crazy, right?  If you are like most people, you have probably already started forming an impression of me based on your personal conceptions and connotations of homeschooling.  Whether your impression is good or bad, I hope you hear me out.  No, I don't wear skirts on a daily basis (not that there's anything wrong with them--I do wear them on occasion).  Yes, I do have friends besides my siblings and I do know how to socially interact with people (at least I think I do...), and believe it or not, I do play sports. In fact, one of the most common misconceptions about homeschoolers is that they well...stay at home.  It's not an entirely false misconception, but you might be surprised at how many homeschoolers there are and that there is actually an organization of homeschoolers about the size of a 2A school here in Topeka (more on that later). 
   
     You might be asking yourself, why is this person labeling herself as a homeschooler?  Well, that is part of the reason I decided to start this homeschooling blog (along with the fact that it is part of my college coursework).  Homeschooling is something that has always been dear to my heart.  Why?  Because so many people don't realize all the great benefits that come from homeschooling.  That's why I wanted to create this.  To shed a little light on the subject.  I'll be honest, I'm incredibly biased towards homeschooling, but my hope is that this will help both you and me learn to practice balancing our opinions and weighing them to find what we personally believe.  My goal isn't to force homeschooling down your throat--you're entitled to your own opinion!--but simply to provide my perspective in an entertaining and informative way.  Happy reading!


To kick off my blog, I wanted to share one of my most favorite, funny BlimeyCow homeschooling videos.  Enjoy!