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Its my theory that one of the big problems with sportsmanship are these weekend tournaments that kids start playing in upper elementary. Often they do not pay for actual officials and the people they get do not know the rules well enough to enforce them and do not enforce sportsmanship. I try not to do very many games lower than high school, but when I do, I make sure to pregame sportsmanship and I enforce it much more rigidly than I do in upper levels. Teach them early I say. Most will adjust and realize that I'm not going to let them talk to me when their players need to be coached as they don't know how to play the game, but some will think they can complain. They don't stay long. One of my favorites was a 8th grade coach I had at some weekend tournaments last year. I had him 3 times and he got an unsportsmanlike from me in all 3 games. He just didn't understand that he was there to coach his kids not me. I set the tone early. He got his first T from me on the second possession of the first game. One of his kids went uncontrolled down the middle of the lane, making as much contact as he was recieving. After the rebound on our way the other direction, coach was standing, throwing his arms up complaining. He got to sit the rest of the game.
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