Why I still do middle school basketball
 

7th grade girls B game. Red shoots, and after a scrum for the rebound, white knocks it OOB under the basket. Red ball. Immediately, 8 players head the other way, and two red jerseys stay by me. I say red ball two more times just to cover myself, and my partner starts drifting back with all the players. We make eye contact to ensure we're on the same page.

Red 16 looks at me and asks, "Aren't we shooting down here?" I smile and say, "yes." She doesn't seem to believe me. Finally, her teammate throws the ball in, and after what seemed like an eternity of indecisiveness, 16 shoots and makes a layup. Coaches (both sides) are red with laughter while I announce that it's white's ball since red just made a basket.

Later in the game, when white is down with under two minutes left, they start pressing. Red gets confused (no backcourt in this league unless a team is behind with less than two minutes left in a half) and just sort of stands there. Partner gets to 10 and realizes they aren't going anywhere so he calls it. White gets the ball and heads the other way for a backcourt violation.

Coach for Red, laughing, walks over to the division line to tell White's coach, "That's what you get for pressing."

Honestly, I can't remember having that much fun on a court; not jolly belly-laugh fun.

Did a favor for a bud and took an 8th grade Girls travel game last week. Counted no less than 12 "I'm sorry"'s and about an equal number of "Excuse me"'s...
Almost enough to atone for 20+ jump balls

Gotta love it

Yeah, I know what you mean. The coach for red reminded me of Dianne from "Cheers." Constantly encouraging and overly sweet and smiley. Kept calling the girls "sweatheart," and encouraging them.
Frankly, it was refreshing.
Before the opening jump in the A game, one of the players from Red asked me what I would think if they were to say encouraging things to the other team. :D

The only problem I have is this: why are these girls playing the game? Is it a passion for basketball? Maybe for the occasional one or two players, but most of them are there because mommy and/or daddy are pushing them to be the star jock or because their peers are all doing it and they don't want to be left out. I ref a lot of ball at this age level, and I frequently wonder what motivates them to be there.

I know not everybody is out there to be a future WNBA or NBA player. I've just seen too many that have no clue at all.

At this level, it's as much a social activity as anything else. The girls were all having fun, from what I could tell. The coaches were extremely pleasant and encouraging. The parents were the same.

That's often true. But sometimes it's true (in my experience) that the coaches and parents take it far more seriously than the players.

many of these girls enjoy the game -- they might not be the most competitive but they ENJOY the social aspect like snaq said earlier. no matter what level the parents take it more seriously a majority of the time. George Carlin said it best, and i truly believe, that parents today are leading to the pu$$ification of our youth. Some of the things that parents do to "fight for their kids" my parents never would have thought and I was always taught to fight my own battles within reason of course.

i have said it many times, and from growing up on the east coast and moving to california when I was 18 I can see how the 2 sides differ in raising their kids. Everything I REALLY learned was from injuring myself somehow. In California thats hard with all the armor kids wear.

but after this rant these girls enjoy this -- you can tell -- its evident in how they play and how they interact with their team and opponents. they dont value winning the most but they value the enjoyment that we all had at one point from doing the most mundane

As a general rule, you may be right about the parents, but it sounds like Snaqs has found the exceptions. There are still a few good parents left in the world.

Part of the issue is, I think, that around here, basketball isn't the "be all end all" that it is in other areas. It's a game, and most people keep that in perspective; especially below the high school level.

I'd take that trade any day!

Only sometimes??

I have to agree - did a couple games at a big 8th grade girls tournament last weekend. Kids were great & played their hearts out, coaches & parents were great and everyone had a ball. I'm working 3 games at the corresponding G8 boys tourney the weekend of the 20th......that one I expect to be a little more intense

I'm trying to be gracious.

It really is (sometimes) a breath of fresh air.

Don't overlook your impact on "teaching" the game to these lower levels.Enjoyable too.