Teaching Sportsmanship

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So, over the course of the past three days I went to a couple of basketball games. Matt was playing in a game for playoff seating and he got a lot of time on the court, and played pretty well, hitting a couple of long shots and battling every second he was on the court. His team lost.

Sam's team won big on Saturday and Sam also contributed, lofting a number of shots, and performing as a true Fuzzy, shooting whenever he was close to the ball or the hoop. Despite the lack of proficiency by the players on both teams, Sam's game was so much more enjoyable to watch.

First off, Sam has a coach that preaches sportsmanship above all else. Standing on the sidelines the coach yelled out words of encouragement, kept all of the players involved, clapped for the other team, and laughed heartily when his own guy flopped to the floor and came up all smiles.

Before the game, his own kid was pretending he was a cameraman filming the action and said, "I'm one of the idiot cameramen."

The father scolded his son for using the word, 'idiot' and then explained that there was no room for such talk.

Matt's team is another story. There has been so much back-biting all year long. Parents who want their kids to play, bad language, arguing with the refs, technical fouls, people jeering from the stands. It's as if these high school kids are playing for the NBA Title.

And I have no use for it.

Just like Sam's game, the high school game should be used as a tool for teaching. There wasn't a kid on the court, for either team, who will play anything more than rec ball in a Saturday night league. It isn't do or die. Money isn't made on the heads of these kids.

Whenever there is jeering from the crowd or someone pissing or moaning about this or that, I think of my own time playing ball in high school. I have nothing but wonderful memories of friendships, laughs, and long shots taken and knocked down, or errant shots buzzing at lightning speed at the back of the backboard.

I don't remember losing. I don't remember being bitter about playing time, or bad refs, or stupid coaches.

Near the end of Sam's game one of the kids was making fun of the other team because the score was so out of hand.

"Hey," the good coach said. "Just because we are playing well doesn't mean we disrespect our opponents."

In the two games, it was the only time I really clapped.

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