The Steeles

 

Marlie Steele

The Misenheimers

 

 By Liz Tennent

For Salisbury Post

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — It was a 1-2 finish for Rowan County on Saturday at the Southeast Central Region 10 Hoop Shoot Contest in Charlottesville, Va.

Marlie Steele sank 17 of 25 free throws to win first place in the Girls 10-11 age group. Hadley Misenheimer was second in the Girls 8-9 division.

The next stop for Steele and her family is Chicago for the National Finals and a weekend of events from April 24-27.

Steele and Misenheimer won local, district and state titles to reach the regional.

They started their journey at Hall Gym where Salisbury Elks Lodge No. 699 and Salisbury Parks and Recreation conducted the local competition.

No doubt Marlie and Hadley were battling nerves competing against athletes from three other states.  Each player shoots 10 free throws, sits down and waits for the next participant. Then she returns to the charity stripe to shoot the final 15. All the while, there’s a deafening silence in the gym.

It’s just as pressure-packed for the spectators, and perhaps moreso for family and friends. The Steeles, Ryan (dad), Tiffany (mom) and Gracie (sister), and  Hadley’s dad, Mark, watched from the bleachers.

Kenny Martin and Liz Tennent from Salisbury Elks Lodge also were there to support the girls.

Hadley’s mom, Katie, who teaches Culinary Arts at East Rowan, was on a spring break field trip to Italy with a group of students, parents and administrators.

“As parents, our expectations were not tied to whether Marlie won or lost,” Ryan Steele said. “We believed she had an opportunity to win based off the hard work she put in leading up to the event. Control what you can control which is your work, attitude and the execution of your routine. Unlike a team basketball game, Hoop Shoot is just you and the rim … you versus you.”

Mom Tiffany Steele felt the same.

“We hoped she would give her best effort and stay mentally strong and focused,” she said.  “When Marlie trusts herself and her routine, she does very well. We are so proud of her and thrilled to be going to Chicago!”

Initially for Hadley, it was a bittersweet second place. She wanted to go to Chicago, too. As she came off the court, she sensed the outcome. There were some tears as she embraced her dad and heard his comforting words.

“Hadley came out and hit eight of her first 10,” Mark said. “I could tell she was really dialed in and focused.  She had worked really hard on a routine that worked for her and that she felt confident with. But something happened on the second round of 15 shots that threw her out of her rhythm. She came up short on three of four shots. She knows that’s a result of not using her legs.  She didn’t quite make the correction that she needed, and I could see it start to wear on her mentally. Once a kid loses that complete focus it’s tough to recover. She did well to hang in there for second place.  After the finish, she was very hard on herself but once the dust settled, she was very grateful to earn second place and thankful for the run she made.”

It didn’t take long for Hadley’s bubbly personality to return. At the awards banquet, athletes were seated together by age group. At the table with the 8–9-year-old boys and girls, Hadley was in celebration mode and the life of the party.

“Winning is always fun and it’s what we strive for”  Mark said. “However, as a father, I feel it’s just as important for a kid to learn how to lose and learn how to recover after a setback  in any event or area we compete in.  It’s that “next play” mentality I feel that is missing from a lot of kids and adults these days.  No matter the sport, mistakes are going to be made. If one mistake makes you lose focus on the next sequence of events, you’re going to get beat most times. It says a lot about a person’s character if they can take a loss or disappointing outcome and use it for motivation to make themselves better.”

The Misenheimers will be the loudest cheerleaders for Marlie, even if it’s from a distance. The Steele and Misenheimer families discovered a special connection between their families through the Hoop Shoot. And their friendship continues to grow, but it’s beyond sports.

Maybe they can share some helpful hints for Marlie. And not just about free throws and competition. She doesn’t really enjoy airplane flights.

“It makes my ears pop, and I can get a little scared during takeoff,” Marlie said. “I will take my ear plugs, my iPad  and some snacks when I fly to help it go better.”

In the words of her parents, “Control what you can control.”

For more information about the Hoop Shoot contest, contact Salisbury Elks Lodge at www.salisburyelks.org or call 704-636-1161.