Despite everything, Kate still managed to place second in one of the games. The evening of laser tag was the kick-off to Kate Paye's Basketball Academy, The party gave the girls a chance to get over the excitement and awe at being in the same room with Kate. As Kate Paye walked into the little side room to get a slice of pizza a long line of girls followed closely behind her.
Kate spent the next four days coaching approximately forty girls ranging from eleven to eighteen years old. My first day was not off to a good start. As I walked in, I was wearing my breakfast; I learned quickly that trying to drink orange juice on the freeway was a bad idea. To my relief, they were handing out the camp shirts, and I hurried to the bathrooms to change my shirt. As I walked into north Seattle's Mike Martin gym wearing a clean shirt, I looked around and found myself surrounded by basketball greatness. Kate Paye was assisted by Malinda Lynch and Molly Hills from University of Washington, Pamela Lovely from Western Washington University, and Mindy Wernex from Pierce Community College. Janet Lovely, who coaches at Chinook High School, and Joleen Lamay, the coach for Sumner High School, was there as well. Scott Lovely, from the Puget Sound Sports Council and a shot doctor from Basketball, USA was checking in girls as they arrived. Trying my hardest not to look like I was in awe, I walked over to put my bag on the stage.
When I returned home after an hour and half commute, I could barely walk through the front door of my house. We learned just about every basketball drill invented, including lay-ups, a pass-and-screen-away offense, shooting, and fakes.
Christy Hedgpeth, who played point guard for the Seattle Reign last year, spoke to us on Monday. Christy comes from a small town in Thomasville, N.C., where she was one of twenty-two in her graduating class at Westchester Academy. She did not have the opportunity to go to any basketball camps growing up, so she had to hone her basketball skills on her own.
