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Again, my thoughts on what should be called at what level differ. Just as you may go a little looser on the travels and double dribbles, I think you can (and should) be tighter on what you call unsportsmanlike in the younger age groups. We need to start training coaches, parents, and players that we are not teaching how to win, we are teaching how to play winning basketball. There is a big difference.
If the play cited in the original post happened in 4-6th grade, I would suggest warning the coach, disallowing the basket, and giving the ball to the opponents. I will grant that this is not supported in the rules. Tell him if he doesn't like it, he can have the unsportsmanlike T before the basket with no warning.
Last year 5th rec girls, the ref allowed us to retake a free throw because of some innappropriate distracting screams just as our player was releasing the ball (by an irate mother in the stands). It was obvious that her screams made our player flinch and miss badly. He called "fan interference"(this is baseball?) and sold it well. Of course neither the parent nor the coach knew the rules well enough to complain. In HS, thats just ball baby. In junior rec ball, its a silly parent who needs some perspective.
On Saturday, 6th grade travel league, one of our opponents found a need to cough just as our player was releasing a free throw. Trail noted this and, after about 5 times of witnessing this, went up to the girl and asked her if she was alright prior to the second free throw being administered. He said "I noticed that you have a cough that seems to hit you just when they are shooting their free throws. I wanted to be sure you were ok before we shoot this next one." She got the picture and we never had another cough. I doubt you would bother with this at the HS varsity level, but it did the job at the 6th grade level. The same ref also told the coach to get one of his fans under control earlier in the game (they found the need to help with the calls in a very loud fashion). The coach turned to say something, but the fans around her said "we told her" (!!!). They all knew it was innappropriate, but it took the ref stepping up to make it stop (and it did stop).
I wish this would happen more often.
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