Dear Donte …

Donte, 

You are my favorite Racer. I like to watch you play. 

Love, 

Cate Taylor

Seeing her give the note to him and watching him listen to her every word was sweet and honest and innocent. And I loved being a mom and witnessing this moment. I hope she remembers it. If not, I’m documenting so we can tell her all about it when she’s grown up, probably with some other crush that makes her daddy and me nervous.

Unlike their first week last month, Cate was brave this time, standing right next to Donte. She still doesn’t grasp why he isn’t going to play at Murray State anymore. But we wish him well and thank him for helping our girl love basketball.

During the play time with the players, another Racer may have captured her heart. The kids were divided into four teams for a relay event that concluded with guys who are given college scholarships to play basketball shooting household items. See Ivan Aska there under the basket? Yeah, he’s shooting a roll of paper towels. Anyway, Cate was on LaTreze Mushatt’s team.

Admittedly, she was disappointed she wasn’t on Donte’s team. But I reminded her that LaTreze would be back next year and he wears #4. Something about the number being the same as her age {although she won’t be 4 for much longer …} is cool to her. That seemed to help.

Then Team LaTreze won the relay event, which lead to this awkward “We’re #1!” pose …

LaTreze was great with the little ones. He asked Ben what his name was and Ben pulled on his shirt and said, “Murr Tate.” Um, well, yes, that’s what your shirt is about. But what’s your name? He just pulled up his shirt and laughed. I have no idea what he was really thinking, but he seems proud about whatever it is.

Ben ran, like full-force ahead ran, toward Ed Daniel. And Ed scooped him up. After the picture, they walked around and Ed even lifted Ben up toward the basketball goal, helping him shoot. I asked if Ed babysat, but he just laughed. I guess that’s a no.

These guys are finished playing basketball this season. Two of the four are seniors and are going to leave Murray sooner rather than later. They gained national attention this year. They won more games than any other Murray State team. They were ranked higher than any of the Racer teams who came before them. Yet they still came to a preschool and played, laughed, hugged, and smiled with a bunch of kids who have loved them from a distance.