Basketball in Maine on a Winter Night

We did a triple header last night. It was a busy night. Three games with three teams in three gyms.

It was fun and each game showed how hard our young people play all through the state.

The first game was a junior high game my son was in. His team is challenged and it has been a tough season thus far. It did not get much better for this game and they lost by a significant amount. The coach, a teacher at his school, is a nice gentleman who is doing his best but thus far whatever he is attempting does not seem to be working very well. It is unfortunate but as in all things there are character builders here. The biggest issue we see is that the parents are not a great example. They grumble about the coach, they complain about the calls and all the while the kids on the floor see them. If you think it does not matter know that a game a couple of weeks ago my son's team lost by 40. Not fun. He was naturally frustrated but blamed the refs. I am not one to suffer excuses and not when you lose by 40. When you lose by 40 you just got beat but he said did you see all the parents complaining and gesturing about the calls. I told him we did but that was a bad example for them to see. I really believe that we need to remember that. My wife reminded me of my feeling for this subject mater when I whispered to her what they were doing in practice everyday after the opponent last night scored its fifth or sixth basket on an inbounds play under its own basket.

Our second game was at the high school as my oldest son had a junior varsity game. They played a team that was struggling so we saw the other side of the coin. Our coach to his credit quickly pulled off the press and played three different sets of five and so all the boys including the second string my son is usually in got to play quite a bit. He had his first double digit game in scoring, did other things well and just as importantly for me is a good teammate. First one off the bench to high five his teammates and such. This has been a good year for him, playing time not what he would like but he is learning big picture stuff here. I am proud of him. We met some folks that we did not know ( other parents) including some who he had visited last weekend with a new friend of his. They commented on how nice and polite he was, something every parent wants to hear.

Lastly we went to a friend of mine's game against an opponent in town here. My friend coaches the varsity team in his town. It was a great game. Two small schools in contrast to where my boys go. The game went to overtime, the people were involved it was a great night.

Looking at those schools and the players I could see my boys playing their and being much bigger fish in a small pond. It just is not the life experience they are going to get.


One of the schools last night was a local Christian school. I was very impressed with them, their coaches and the way their kids played the game. Very impressive. A young man who filed out shakes the refs hand. I was impressed in the same way when they played an exhibition game against my sons baseball team last spring, after losing by a great deal, they all thanked our boys for the experience.

Basketball in Maine is a great microcosm of the people who live here.