Basketball, basket ball, and more basketball

Our high school son is playing in a basketball tournament this weekend. That means a game each day, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as the hour each way drive to the small town where it is being held. In between times, I’m trying to work on my current book (due out fall of 2014), which features two teachers in a small Oklahoma town in 1917. Oh, and I did I mention that the male lead coaches basket ball? (Not a typo–in 1917 the sport was two words, not one.)

It’s a interesting dynamic to watch a high school basketball game in 2012 and think about high school basketball almost a century earlier. Throw in that our college son’s basketball team, for which he is a student assistant, will be in town next weekend for a game and we’ve got even more bleacher time. We’ll be there to cheer him on as he does his “assisting” thing in preparation for a career as a coach. So I’m cheering on my kids and doing research for my book all at the same time. For while the game may have change some since 1917, my guess is that the athletes have stayed pretty much the same in attitude and effort. Now to translate that actual excitement and intensity onto the page!

Tell me, those of you who don’t have a hoops player in the family, how do you spend your December, January and February evenings? 🙂