[rainmaker]

Originally posted by EMM
UMM, the purpose of the post was to get a straight answer about the rule. I run layup drills and all my kids touch the ball and shoot. I just feel bad that the kid is allowed to be banged around the way he has been.

Coach, in your original post, it sounded like you were blaming the refs. We just couldn't tell quite what your attitude was.

When I say the league is very political, there is a reason for it. The teams in the league are supposed to be created fairly to provide each team with ballhandlers, rebounders and big men. Often you see one or two favorite coaches get to handpick their players and games are often blowouts.

In my opinion it is not good for the league to have such imbalance in its inhouse program at this age. To make it worse, the refs used are provided by someone that is involved in to organization that is known to hold grudges and take them out on the court. It is unfortunate, but I am sure you all are aware that this happens.

I think the best way to deal with these kinds of issues is to either work from within, and try to change the structure for the better, or find another rec league to be involved with. If most others in the league, parents, board, coaches, dont mind the way things are, or if they aren't willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make things better, you and your own child are better off somewnere else.

To make a long story short, I was told by other basketball coaches that were watching my championship game that it was an illegal defense to put one guy in front of my player and one guy in back of him impeding his ability to move. I was told to quietly check into it. So I went to the head ref. (MR Political) and asked him if it was an illegal defense and he told me it wasnt. Then I was told that he went and switched my refs that were supposed to ref my final championship game due to him thinking that one of them alerted me to this rule.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the "he said, she said" stuff. Just play your games, figure out one or two people who are reliable sources of information (as opposed to gossip), help your kids improve and skip the rest of the stuff.

By the way, tonight my boys just won the championship and they did it with all my players contributing. The kids are really great.

See, we have already helped you!! Just kidding. But seriously, remember that the best revenge is to win. Let the refs do their political thing. Let the board do all the stuff they do. If your kids have a good attitude, and are improving their skills, and those are the reasons for your win, then heck, you've got nothing to complain about. If these things are the case, you're a great coach, doing a great job, and perhaps the other teams in your league will learn a thing or two.