Three's a crowd for the Brigade

The Sportsmanship Brigade spent last weekend at The St. Louis Jewish Community Center (The J) and took in a pair of eight-year-old boys basketball games. Team Robson played Team Bartig in one game and Team Hardwick and Team Bierman squared off in the other.

Teams at The J are named for the coaches and that system certainly fits Team Hardwick. The boys are fundamentally sound, unselfish and respect their opponents - all qualities embodied by their coach. We could not decide on one thing this team did well. They patted each other on the back after good and bad plays. They helped opponents up who fell to the floor and encouraged one another from the bench.

In a case like this, the Brigade had no choice but to issue a blanket award. Pizza for everyone!

Team Hardwick

The second game featured a very mild-mannered, but hardworking young boy and the most excited fan the Brigade has ever seen at a youth game. First, Liam showed a great attitude and unselfish play in leading his team to its first victory of the season. He was an easy selection for the Brigade.

Liam and his mom

Then, there was Jennifer Scott - the most excited adult fan we have ever seen at a youth sporting event. "Go, Blue! There you go! Woo-hoo! Go, Blue!" Those types of cheers went out nonstop for an hour. She cheered like this was an NBA or NCAA Final Four game.

To some, it may have seemed obnoxious. To the Brigade, it was just what the doctor ordered. All too often, parents sit in the stands at youth games as if they were attending a funeral. Kids should know how important they are and that we really like seeing them play. Jennifer understands that. The Brigade understands Jennifer.

Liam and Jennifer Scott

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130.

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U. City and Normandy may never play again

University City (U. City) and Normandy are neighboring school districts in St. Louis County. As with many neighboring school districts across the country, an athletic rivalry has developed between the high schools. That’s usually no big deal. Go to the game wearing your school’s colors, have some nachos and go home a little hoarse from all the cheering.

This is where most schools draw the line. U. City and Normandy do not. There have been several altercations between the two schools during basketball games in recent years. During the 2011-12 season, there was an on-court fight. Another incident happened earlier this season when Normandy students hurled bricks at the U. City team bus with students on-board.

Both schools were on another collision course as the state basketball playoffs began this week. Normandy is a top seed and received a first round bye. If U. City had won its opening round game, round two would have featured U. City and Normandy.

Thankfully, Mary Institute & Country Day School (MICDS) had other plans. MICDS defeated U. City in the first round and saved the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) from enacting an embarrassing, but necessary plan.

Had U. City won, no fans would have been allowed to attend the next game against Normandy. MSHSAA officials determined the vitriol and potential for violence was too great to allow anyone to attend a U. City-Normandy matchup other than the players’ parents. You read that right. A high school playoff game would have been contested without brothers, sisters, grandparents, or even a student section.

Think about how that might feel for the kids. You’re in the state basketball playoffs and no one can come to your game except your mom and dad. Why? Because no one else knows how to act. U. City’s athletic director told a local TV station that he hoped to have adequate security at future games to prevent incidents between the schools. MSHSAA is also looking into changing its athletic conferences so the schools never have to play each other – in anything – ever again.

The U. City and Normandy communities should be ashamed of themselves. This is not just an administrative issue. Parents, coaches, teachers, other community leaders and even the students need to do some serious soul searching. What kind of people are we? How are our actions affecting what the region thinks of us?

On Tuesday, both school districts released a joint statement addressing the issue of fan behavior and the frayed relationship between their high schools. It reads:

While we will not be paired against each other in basketball playoff contests this year, our athletes and the spectators who come to support them are committed to displaying sportsmanship-like behavior when they interact with each other. We believe that it is unfair when one or two incidents are generalized to represent the behavior of all students from the School District of University City and the Normandy School District.

I took the liberty of highlighting “sportsmanship-like behavior” because there is no such thing. Either you exhibit good sportsmanship or you don’t. Showing “sportsmanship-like behavior” is the equivalent of buying your fiancée an engagement ring made of glass. It doesn’t shine or sparkle. There’s only an annoying, blinding glare. Most of all, everyone knows it’s cheap and meaningless – including you.

Sportsmanship is respect for the game, its players, officials and fans. This means U. City fans must respect Normandy fans and vice versa. Everyone who cheers for these schools must look beyond the scoreboard and the rivalry. No more fights. No more bricks. Wear your school’s colors proudly, have some nachos and go home.

And if you can’t, just stay home then. As much as it would hurt the athletes’ feelings to not have their fans at the game, bricks and fists still hurt more.

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Coach It Right! Baseball Clinic in two weeks

The Coach It Right! Baseball Clinic is Saturday, March 2 from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. inside the Danis Field House at St. Louis University High School. Missouri Baseball Hall of Fame coach Steve Nicollerat will lead the session. Any baseball or softball coach who wants to know what to teach and how to teach it need look no further than the Oakland Avenue Oracle Steve Nicollerat. His knowledge of baseball is only exceeded by his passion for teaching kids to play and live the right way.

You will enjoy the high-quality event you have come to expect. Coach Nicollerat's instruction is top-notch. Breakfast will be provided by Metabolic Meals - the absolute best diet delivery company in the St. Louis region. The food tastes good and is good for you. So, feel free to indulge at the clinic. Admission is free. Parking is free. Breakfast is free.

There is an added bonus this year as well. I made a promise during my presentation at the 2013 St. Louis Youth Sports Summit that would extend our mini-grant program to include the Coach It Right! Baseball Clinic. For those who are unfamiliar, the Sportsmanship Initiative's mini-grant program is attendance-based. If the prescribed number of adults (i.e. coaches, parents, volunteers, officials, etc.) attend the clinic on your organization's behalf, said organization will receive the corresponding dollar amount to use for general operating purposes. Here's the breakdown:

• If 10 adults attend the clinic, your organization will receive $250.
• If 25 adults attend the clinic, your organization will receive $500.
• If 50 adults attend the clinic, your organization will receive $1,000.

Please understand that your organization must be a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization or a member in good standing of a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization. For example, your organization may not be a non-profit itself, but may be a member of the AAU or USA Baseball. Current memberships with those types of organizations will qualify you for the grant. Also know that the grants are made based on attendance and not registrations. 

To quote oft-used contest language, "You must be present to win." We are, however, asking everyone to register so we can have enough materials and food. Please register by clicking here or calling 314.345.5130. Your kids will benefit most from the experience you will have. Don't be the one who missed it. 

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Teen gets an unselfish assist from opponent on game-ending shot

Davan (pronounced Day-vin) Overton can't play football. He can't participate in boxing, wrestling, martial arts or any other contact sport. Davan has a rare condition called Dandy-Walker Syndrome. The condition essentially consists of a benign but irremovable cyst on Davan's spine that slowed some of his cognitive development and altered his motor skills greatly.

Football and the aforementioned contact sports could prove lethal for Davan if he played them as the cyst is very sensitive to contact. He can and does play basketball. While basketball certainly has contact and sometimes very hard contact, Davan can play under controlled conditions. Whenever his Mapleton (Ore.) High School team is on either side of a blowout, Davan can play.

His teammates do their best to get Davan on the stat sheet. He gets multiple shot attempts when he plays. Mapleton head coach Aaron Decker always tells the opposing coach about Davan before the game so everyone knows what to expect. Defenses soften to let Davan shoot. Unfortunately, Davan's own body often betrays him. The effects of Dandy-Walker prevent him from shooting with good form and his shots miss wildly.

Mapleton hosted Falls City (Ore.) High School in this season's opening game. The contest was close for awhile and it looked as if Davan wouldn't play, but Mapleton asserted itself in the second half and pulled away. Coach Decker put Davan in the game with about three minutes to go. Every other player on Mapleton's eight-man roster had scored that night. Davan's teammates desperately wanted to get him a bucket.

Several shots went up. None went in. Davan took what he thought would be his last shot with about 10 seconds to play. Falls City guard and top scorer Ethan McConnell grabbed the rebound. As Davan turned to run down the court to play defense, he heard an unfamiliar voice. Ethan yelled, "Davan!" As he turned around responding to the voice, a perfect chest pass landed in Davan's hands.

With mere seconds left, Davan settled behind the 3-point line and took the shot. In the words of Keith Olbermann, "From way downtown...Bang!" The buzzer sounded and the Mapleton gym erupted with cheers. Ethan had delivered the greatest assist of his young career. It wasn't staged or planned. It was sportsmanship at its best - spontaneous and life-affirming.

Ethan's dad told The Oregonian, "You try to raise your kids with some morals and some faith. You try to give them a mishmash of everything they might need in the world. But you can't dictate which way they turn. It's just such a wonderful thing to see a kid, especially your own kid, make a decision like that, to do something for someone else without really even thinking about it."

Davan and Ethan were technically opponents that night, but behaved like teammates. It is often said that character is what you do when no one is watching. That's not necessarily an absolute. Sometimes character has to be shown with all of the lights on and everyone in the house watching.

The Oregonian published a video essay of Davan and Ethan's story which can be viewed by clicking here. Be sure to share this one with your friends as well. Young people are still doing great things around us. We just need to open our eyes and look.

 

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Gangnam Style

The Sportsmanship Brigade takes it work very seriously, but we do need to let loose every now and again. Friday night's 8th grade girls basketball contest between the host St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Catherine Laboure provided the perfect opportunity.

During halftime, the hit song "Gangnam Style" filled the gym. Let's just say Brigade members can bust a move or two of their own. It was fitting given the great attitudes displayed by both teams. Molly Bastida of St. Margaret Mary and Annie Leisure of St. Catherine Laboure played hard, encouraged their teammates and had a blast.

Big Sol with Ms. Bastida

Big Sol with Ms. Leisure

Honestly, it was fun watching them having so much fun. Their infectious personalities definitely left an impression on the Brigade. Both ladies were recognized for a tremendous show of sportsmanship during the game.

Saturday, the Brigade visited "The J" in Creve Coeur for a 5th grade boys basketball matchup. The game was very competitive and very physical. One young man was fouled pretty hard and suffered a busted lip. Instead of jogging away and acting as if nothing happened, the young man who committed the foul went over to the opposing bench to see if his opponent was OK.

Thankfully, the injury was quickly taken care of with some ice and a wet cloth. The young man returned to action several minutes later. However, the actions of Hanks Edwards, the player who ran over to check on the injury, were not lost on the Brigade.

Big Sol with Hanks and his parents. I think we were photobombed by his grandparents :)

Hanks' parents and grandparents delighted in his recognition and we were indeed proud to be there to witness it. In the end, all four teams the Brigade saw last weekend had kids who had a lot of fun and showed respect for the game and their opponents.

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130.

Of course, you didn't think we'd have this post without the song, did you? Take about four minutes and enjoy...(email subscribers click here). 

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Groundhog Day

Punxsutawney Phil may or may not see his shadow each year, but you're all but guaranteed to witness good sportsmanship on Friday nights at Immacolata parish. The Sportsmanship Brigade descended upon Immacolata last weekend for a 3rd grade boys basketball matchup between the home team and the visitors from Mary Queen of Peace.

Both teams showed how you can compete at a very high level and play within the rules. The boys dove for loose balls, made difficult shots and played tough defense. Yet, there were no technical fouls. No one had to be warned. The kids played hard and they played great.

This was an easy choice as both teams were rewarded for their tremendous sportsmanship and will enjoy a pizza party on the Brigade. Parents, coaches and everyone else who has a hand in raising these wonderful boys should be proud of them. We certainly are.

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130.

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Youth hockey association to raise funds through gun raffle

The West Fargo (N.D.) Hockey Association serves kids beginning at age four all the way through high school. Like many youth organizations, regardless of sport, West Fargo holds fundraisers to keep its programs going.

One of the most expensive elements of playing hockey is paying for ice time. Ice has to be put down and maintained. Buildings must be kept cold year-round. The costs can seem astronomical compared to other sports where all you may need is grass or a blacktop.

Many organizations resort to fundraisers that reflect the interests of their communities. Maybe the area is known for its wings or pizza. In Philadelphia, several organizations sell cheesesteaks. Makes sense. If nothing else, you can always do a car wash or candy sale.

West Fargo residents, however, have slightly different interests. Gun raffles are very popular and very lucrative for participating organizations. Yes, you read that right. The West Fargo Hockey Association is having a gun raffle on March 15 - an event expected to raise $90,000 for the league.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, West Fargo has absorbed national criticism for being "insensitive" to Newtown and the raging gun debate in America. West Fargo's raffle list includes some 200 weapons - including the now infamous AR-15.

This article is not advocating for expanded gun control nor is it defending everyone's Second Amendment rights. That's for the other guy on that other website to rant and rave about. This article is about kids and the image conveyed by the organizations that serve them.

Fundraisers would be a lot easier if youth organizations went for the easy money. Yet, there are some things you can't associate with kids. Perception is reality. Even if kids aren't allowed at the event itself, it just looks bad.

For example, a friend of your organization may be a cigarette manufacturer. It's probably not a good idea to say, "Today's track meet is brought to you by Brand X cigarettes." The damage done to a youth league through such a campaign may be irreparable.

A good payday may help for a season, but a poor image is much harder to escape. Be careful of what you do in the name of helping kids. The end does not always justify the means.

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