Best and worst?

[Mark Padgett]

Just thought, that since we're in the "off season", we might find some interest in sharing the "best" and the "worst" things we've observed in games.

Both of mine happened in our local kids rec league. The best was when a team kept "feeding" a kid (5th grade) the ball to try to get him to score. It was their last game of the season and the kid had not scored all year. The kid had some medical problems (mentally challenged) but was really enjoying the season even though he hadn't scored. The other team knew what was going on since some of their players were classmates of his, so they let him shoot layups. About midway through the second quarter, he scored. Both teams went wild, slapping his hand, etc. All the parents in the gym got up and applauded. My partner and I stopped the game to shake his hand. He was so happy, he actually started crying. He scored two more baskets in the game and afterwards, he said he'd never forget that day.

The worst was when a coach called a kid to come out of the game and when the kid got to the bench (I think this was 6th grade but I'm not positive), the coach yelled at him and then slapped him across the face! I wasn't working the game but was in the stands as a Board member. Obviously, I ran down to the court and one of the officials had already told the guy to leave. The guy's "excuse" was that it was his son and he "had a right to do that". I told him the kid was a player in our program and no one could do that to a player - period. I then told him if he didn't leave I would call the police and have him arrested for trespassing (which is a law in this state). The kid's mom was in the gym, so I knew we weren't leaving the kid alone. The Board met a few days later and banned the guy from coaching for life.

OK - your turn.