[Mark Padgett]

Today was the last day of our local kids rec league season and my last game today was 6th grade boys. Home team had a kid who was way better than anyone else on the floor. He was their point guard but also their best shooter. He scored 10 in the first quarter (they play seven minute quarters). He sat out most of Q2 but still scored 6 in that quarter.

A few minutes into Q3, a teammate hits him with an outlet pass and he has a one on one going down the sideline. I'm the new lead and I see a parent on the visitors side stand up and yell, "PUT HIM ON HIS BACK"! The kid goes right around his defender and hits an easy layup. I blow my whistle and go over to the visiting coach. It was obvious that he knew why I came over. I told him he had to instruct the parent to leave the gym and if he didn't, it would be a technical against his team (league rule) and I would toss the guy anyway. He nodded and said he'd take care of it and then he actually apologized for what the guy said.

He went over to the guy, told him to leave and pointed to the door. The guy gave him no response other than to just pick up his jacket and go. The coach then went over to the home bench and apologized to the coach there. I thought that was really good of him to do so.

Anyway, the home team won in a rout and I didn't see the ejected guy anywhere outside when I left. If it had been earlier in the season, he would have been told he could not attend any more games at all, but the league rule doesn't account for extending a penalty like that into the next season.

Well, now that I'm home, showered and dressed (in that order), it's almost time to leave for our season-ending referee pizza party! YUM YUM - FREE PIZZA!