Youth Ball Follies

[Rich]

I worked some youth games today -- my first 2-person games since the last time I worked youth ball in mid-November. (44 3-person games in a row since then. I was a bit out of sorts in an odd way -- mostly when I was the T opposite and my partner called a shooting foul and I assumed I was staying where I was cause I was the C opposite. Oh, wait.)

First game -- one of the coaches had been a problem early and we shut him down, but he had used up every kindness, every last chance.

Near the end of the game, this team was down 3 points. I'm the L. They took a shot at a 3 and the ball hit the front of the rim, was knocked around a few times, and then headed out of bounds off this team. Ball was saved OVER the backboard. T properly calls the violation.

About 3 seconds left now, other team to inbound.

Coach screams, "THAT WAS A BAD CALL." In a mostly empty gym, this resonated quite well. I stared in his direction and he sees me looking at him. He ups the ante, louder: "THAT WAS A BAD CALL."

Whack.

2 points and the ball in this league -- no shots. Now a 5 point game and the winning team runs out the clock.

Now the losing coach decides to get his money's worth with us, dropping 2 f-bombs in my direction in the process. A coach of 8th graders, mind you.

All that for $25.

Next youth games....probably November.