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Last nite I watched my grandson play the end of season tournament in his park Basketball league(10-12). They were the fifteen seed playing the number one. Yup, you guessed it. Upset city. Tied in the first, halftime, and end of the third. His team manage to put up 6 straight points in the fourth and won by three. This team had beaten them twice in regular league play and were 12/0. They had a kid who could take over a game. Very good. The last quarter was a almost a brawl. Good thing there were two good refs who kept things under control. Not always true at this level.
The kids played with heart and never gave up. A big part of them winning was their coach, my SIL. He never loses his cool unlike the opposition coach who was going ballistic and yelling at his kids, especially at the end. I coached b-ball at that age level in college and after the second loose I had a idea how to beat that team. Put a hard body on the good kid. He will get his points but make him work for them. He gets frustrated when his misses. I did not say anything,not my team.
At the start of the game, low and behold, exactly what I thought was happening. My SIL, Joe had put his son tight on the kid. While the rest of the team played zone, he followed the kid around keeping him off his rhythm. Now Sawyer is not the most talented kid, he is undersized but stout. But he is a bulldog. Big heart. (just a little brag). The strategy worked and the kid did not take over the game.
After the game, I asked Sawyer about the strategy. He said his dad told him to do it and not worry it he picked up a few fouls along the way. Great minds think alike!!!!!

The Wiz wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 16, 2023 3:25 pm

He will get his points but make him work for them. He gets frustrated when his misses.

Have had a few like that over the years on my bowling leagues. Technically not kids but just old enough to bowl on an adult league. One was a very good bowler but if he missed a couple of ten pins or didn't get a strike on a few balls he thought he should have his game would fall apart and he would start cussing and kicking the ball return.

They would either grow up and realize that it's just a game and become steady bowlers or give up and we would never see them again. A few tried to keep on without changing but it didn't take long before they couldn't keep bowling because no one would have them on their team.

Congratulations on the win!
Jake

Congratulations! Those kind of upsets are great!

OUTSTANDING .... congrats to your SIL and his entire team

Congrats on the win, and on the sportsmanship. We had a few coaches in our little league group the year I coached before getting orders overseas that were like that opposing coach. All about winning. Yelling at the players, always playing the best players and ignoring those who weren't that great, though the league rules required at least three innings for every player. We had two that would berate his own players ON the field in front of their parents and friends. The coaches and many of the parents forgot that sports, especially little league sports, are supposed to be fun.

I coached that year because the father that was the coach got orders to Japan for a year. I had NEVER coached before and wasn't all INTO baseball. I played intermural softball, and knew the basics, but ... wasn't a fanatic. I did it so the team didn't get dropped. At the preseason meeting I told the parents where I stood and they all had to sign the league's rule book. I had added a few additional rules...

1. Any parent who coached from the stands would join me on the sidelines for the rest of the game, mothers or fathers. (Guardians included.) Do it twice and you have just volunteered to be assistant coach.

2. Berate kids on the field I'LL invite you to leave.

3. Remember, the game is supposed to be fun and I wasn't going to make it ALL about winning. *

* I had already been warned at the coaches meeting that my team was made up of the kids that no one else wanted, it was basically the Bad New Bears. The dad that had gone overseas had put together the team so HIS son could play that year.

I only had to pull one mom out of the stands and put her on the sideline for the rest of the game. Coaching and Comments from the stands stopped for the rest of the season. I didn't mind input and suggestions from the moms/dads, but yelled remarks and comments toward me or the kids on the field were NOT helpful. They would walk down and chat over the fence... "It might help if we...."

It was a good year, we won a few games, NOT many, but a few. More importantly, the kids had a good time, enjoyed practice and made friends.