Somewhere between the driveway
and the park
I got to know you.
Let's go back.
That first day I rang the bell,
I wasn't sure what to expect.
You came to the door.
Bag over your shoulder.
Prepared and ready for training.
Give me your bag.
I'd carry your bag as we walked to the car.
I'd open your door and you'd get in.
I'd place your bag in the backseat
before I hopped in and we drove off.
This came to be routine for the last month.
The car rides…
I hadn't imagined it but they've come to be something of their own.
Never knowing where the conversation would go each day…
Basketball.
Friends.
High School.
Life.
Confidence.
Or just whatever popped in mind.
The car ride became more than just getting from one place to another…
…but I learned more than I had ever known about Charli the person.
And I'd like to think you've come to know more of who I am
outside of basketball.
And then…
…the reason for it all.
The actual basketball training.
Each session has been and continues to be an experience in itself.
The work is the work…
…but having a front row seat to watch you grow
is something I don't take for granted.
I see so much in you that you haven't yet discovered for yourself.
So much heart.
So much skill.
A quiet passion to get better.
And even the piece of you that's fighting and hoping
that others can one day see the same thing.
Our mirror conversation may be one of the realest
player/coach conversations I've ever had…
…and will remember for years.
WHO DO YOU SEE
WHEN YOU LOOK
IN THE MIRROR?
I know.
I understand.
But that's not the person I see.
I hope you know I meant every word.
With each session, I hope you look past my over-the-top
“hype you up” antics…
…me teaching you to talk shit…
“WHO YOU TALKIN' TO?!”
The laughs.
The jokes.
…and walk away with the one thing I tell you every time.
you are her.
HER.
Each day, after each session, our routine continues…
Give me your bag.
And we're off to get food…
Dunkin
The place where you apparently remember my donut order.
Starbucks
I was unfamiliar with their grilled cheese
until you put me on.
Chick-fil-A
Wendy's
That one curb incident…
We won't talk about.
Brownstone
But the most surprising choice to me was Brownstone…
…because it'd require the quiet kid that I once knew
to sit down and talk more than usual.
But it meant more than you know.
14
Now…
the young lady that I've connected with
over the last month is turning 14.
And in honor of that…
I put together a list of 14 things.
You pretend you don't like when I hype you up.
Lowkey I think you like it.You're harder on yourself than you need to be.
Sometimes I think you're trying to beat yourself before anybody else gets a chance.Maybe you're not so quiet after all…
Just selective on who gets to hear what's going on inside.You listen.
The phone goes down. You pay attention. You remember things people probably don't realize you remember.You notice little things.
Like someone's donut order.You care.
About your teammates. Your friends. Your mom. About what people think. About doing the right things.You don't realize how much you've already changed.
You're learning to use your voice.
I got 5. I won that shit!
Know your value.
Know your worth.
Never settle for less.There's a version of you that you haven't met.
She's going to walk into rooms different. Take shots she would've passed up. Say things she would've kept to herself.And probably still give me that look when I embarrass her.Lol.You're HER.
If you fall asleep while on Boo-Lovin' on the phone…
…you wake up with marks on your face.I've got your back.
Always.
Somehow…
I still didn't tell you the best part…
BROOKLYN
You probably figured it out.
But just in case…
Phoebe
Bridgers
You're going.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Barclays Center
Brooklyn, New York
Happy 14th, Charli.
Your pass
And yes…
I'm still carrying your bag.
HER