No fun for winners, either
Regarding David C. Butler’s letter condemning an AAU-sponsored basketball rout (“104-4 rout violates AAU tenets,” March 16), I was not only at that game, I am the parent of one of the players on the team, a seventh-grade team from Spokane.
We, the parents, have never felt worse watching our kids win a game. When the game was clearly getting out of control, our coach told his players to slow the game down and pass the ball a minimum of 10 times before shooting.
It’s hard for 13-year-olds to not play hard, but they did their best to not let the game get to 150-4. Winning a game by 100 points didn’t do our kids any favors, either. That kind of game leads to bad habits and overconfidence. It also requires parents and coaches to lecture on the value of sportsmanship more than we already do.
Doesn’t the losing team’s coach bear some responsibility for bringing a woefully under-equipped team to a tournament known for its high level of competition?
Our coach, Stacey Boyd, is the best, most upstanding coach I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. He is making our kids better ballplayers – but also, better people.
Samuel J. Thomas
Spokane Valley