[Ksyrup]

Caitlin graduates from NKU on Saturday. She was offered a 3rd grade position at the school she has been student teaching at, starting in January. They've been so desperate for subs that most of this semester they've been pulling her from her assigned class to sub for other classes and she's really impressed people there, which is awesome. She's gotten paid for 10 days which is cool. Feels like she is on her way to independence and making a relatively smooth transition.

Mackenzie's future is up in the air. She's been accepted to 7 schools and I think narrowed it to 3. One of those would be to play basketball. She's been offered a spot on a local NAIA school's roster and they even gave her a bit of athletic money. She plays for a terrible high school team where she's been the best player the past 2 years, with a game IQ far above anyone else on her team. So she is trying to play at a level no one else is on and it's hurt her game. But when I've taken her to AAU recruiting camps and she plays with better talent, she fits in. She's way more comfortable as a distributor and facilitator, and in high school, she's the best scoring option but she would rather pass. So when she makes what would otherwise be the right play to pass, it's actually the wrong move because the girl she's passed it to usually can't shoot or dribble or sometimes even catch a ball. But a few college coaches see her potential and the local NAIA school is intrigued about her ceiling if she gets into a successful program with talented players around her.

The downside is that she is injury-prone, slightly built, and I don't know that she will be able to handle the physicality in college. In fact, as I write this, she's headed to the ER for an x-ray on her ankle after stepping on another girl's foot in tonight's game. And I'm not sure she has enough confidence or drive to do the things that are necessary to play at that level. I sense that she's leaning toward not playing, but I can't get anything out of her about what she wants to do. She really needs to make a decision by the end of January to start locking in dorm choices, scholarships, etc.

If it's not the NAIA school, I think she'll end up at either EKU or NKU. I told her money is not a deciding factor, so the NAIA would be slightly more, but not enough to decide not to go if she really wants to play ball. Honestly, I'm conflicted over whether I think she can do it. I see the potential for success, but I also see several signs where it's more than likely it won't work out. Tough one. I just want what's best for her, but I don't think she knows what that is, either.