Zack's 16th!!!!! Birthday

OK! I know! His birthday was over a month ago...
Any way, we didn't want him not to celebrate it even though he couldn't be at home with us so...

I talked with his coach (in the white sweatshirt standing at the right) ahead of time - through a friend who could translate for both of us - so that he didn't have to check with Zack to be sure he understood me! I wanted it to be a surprise but I needed to make sure first that the coach would let me come and bring a birthday cake. He was at least as excited about it as I was and it was a big thing for him to keep it a secret from not only Zack, but the rest of the boys as well. ;-}
So I spent most of the day before making the cake. Then on his birthday I had to go teach at the high school here in the morning, then come pick up the cake - and ice cream! - and drive to Chino (about 2 hours away) to arrive just as the boys were starting afternoon practice.
Coach was there waiting for me and the boys were already in the gym. We got everything inside and he told me to wait by the gym door. He went in and called them all over, then opened the door and started singing 'Happy Birthday'!! Of course all the boys joined in and Zack turned a bit red, but it was great!

Naturally the cake had to be basketball themed - and big enough to share with the whole team and perhaps a few other guys in the dorm. The ball was yellow cake and the basket chocolate. Zack said later the basket was the favorite ;-)

Coach asked if I wanted them to eat the cake & ice cream right then but I said they would probably enjoy it more after practice. I decided to stay and watch a bit and knew for certain cake after was a smart choice. Had they eaten it before I think most would have been sick half way through practice from all the strenuous activity!

I'd seen bits and pieces of practices before and knew they were tough, but...

I stayed for the first hour and it was all physical training - no basketball yet! This picture is one I shot quickly on my phone and it shows one of the lesser of their excercises. There is a whole slew of them and they hold each one for a count of 30 near as I could figure. One day I'm gonna try to video the whole thing. Now I fully get why Zack's appetite is so huge and his body still so slender!!