Pretty cool story on being a team player--highschool

As some of you know my wife is a high school basketball coach. She has a 15 year old sophomore on her team that is just a great kid. She is nearly a 4.0 student, averages 15 points a game, and is a great kid. Well the father is terrible and verbally abusive towards her. He became upset two days ago again because his girl "only" scored 15 points in their first playoff game of the year, so he took her off the team yesterday(He has done this two other times to her for NO reason). He took all of her basketball shoes so she couldn't practice and told her to not be around the team. My wife had her biggest game of the year tonight against a 21-1 team so everyone was on edge last night. All of my wife's seniors cried because they just love this kid and had worked hard to become the best they could over their four years in the program. They either were going to win tonight and get into the state tournament or go home. Here they are on the verge of the biggest game of their careers and their 2 guard is not able to play. They were crushed. My wife told one of her seniors that she would be starting today. This senior had never started a game in her career even though she could start on most teams in my wife's district.

Well all the girls got in their cars last night and started to drive over to this girls house in order to tell her crazy father that if his daughter was not going to be playing, then they would not play. Wow. Well the father got wind of what the girls were doing and called my wife and said she could play. After the girls found out that she was going to be able to play, the senior whom my wife told would start called my wife and told her, "it wasn't her fault, start her, she is better.....". WOW. My wife and I just sat there and stared at each other in shock. A senior that has never started was slated to start the first game of career, a game that would land her team into the state playoffs and she declined in favor of a sophomore.

She not only looked out for her team, but her teammate. It might not seem like a lot but in this day and age it speaks volumes about this kid's character. Then Kharma kicked in today. A Div II college coach talked to the senior after the game and set up a college visit. And to top it off my wife's team took out a top 10 team in the state and beat them by nearly 30 points. And the young girl whom unfortunately is being verbally and psychologically abused by her father must have scored close to 20. Good things happen to good people.

 

Great story!!! Those kind of people are awesome but at times very rare!

 

So dad keeps the girl out (threatens to).....because she scored 15 points? Nothing else to the story?

Weird.

The side story (or, maybe it isn't) about the senior is refreshing.

 

Jeff, the girls parents are going through a divorce. She is an only child. Her dad has absolutely lost his mind and is being mean to not only her but my wife. He thinks she should be averaging 20+ points per game and be the center of attention. Only problem is my wife has two other players on her team that average 15-20 points per game, and they win because they have a three headed monster. My wife also has another guard on the team that is the best player in the region and the crazy girls father cannot stand it. If this girl played on any other team in the area she would be the single superstar on her team. My wife plays a team game and her father wants individual glamor and glitz...that is the problem.

 

Awesome story. As a high school teacher, I can attest to that being a rare characteristic anymore (the senior that is), while the actions of the father are all too common in high school athletics these days. Sports just seem to be the number one priority that all kids and often parents live an die by.

Case in point. Two retiring teachers this year will not be replaced next year for budgetary reasons, yet a few members of the school board are pushing for approval of adding a $750,00 wrestling facility.

 

Wow Matt. I had no idea JS was putting any money in to any sports.

Awesome about the senior, that's the story IMO. Too bad the Soph has a psycho for a dad, I hope that bad situation gets resolved fast.

 

I do too Ben. This kid is AWESOME, my wife loves her. She is top tier student and athlete. She will get into college with our without basketball, but more than likely will sign a full D-I scholarship for basketball. He father is single handedly breaking her down psychologically. He really wants her to be the 25 ppg girl at 15 when this is just not possible on my wife's team. They are one of the best highshool bball teams in the state of VA and she is earning her place just like anyone else. The father cannot understand this point and it just drives my wife crazy.

 

That is awesome!!!!!

I coach b-ball also, parents can be interesting at times.

 

More good news for this kid. My wife's team played in the regional championship game tonight. They trailed the entire game and were down by eight going into the forth quarter. The other team missed the front end of a 1 and 1 with about 8 seconds to play and this girl takes the ball from one end of the court to the next and gets fouled with 2.5 seconds left. She sinks two free throws and wins the game! I am telling you everyone was hugging her and she looked like the happiest girl on earth. It was just so awesome.

 

Alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Germ, I am telling you man all of the players and parents just love this kid....and to top it all of the jerk dad never showed because he cannot control his emotions. And he missed his wonderful child do something so cool. Oh well. This girl is going to be a four time all district player and beyond by the time her career is over and more than likely will score over 1,500 points in her highschool career, YET her jerk father is such a well, jerk.

 

That's too bad, I coach 5th grade girls and we have few issues with two parents. I called a time out last game and went over asked them to stop yelling at the kids.

It's not that hard to be a fan!!!!! keep us up to date on what happens and go Hokies!!!!!

 

Not for anything, but why would the father give a crap if they played or not? Sounds like he's not wired right.

 

Because there is some leverage from the father's on the team if this guy did not relent. His name would have been dirt. I have no idea if the girls would have followed through but those girls play as a team. They beat teams they have no business beating. For example, they beat a team on their home court last night that had three full ride D-1 seniors on the team. My wife's team has none. They are a team and that is why they said they were not going to play without their teammate.

 

Good chemistry goes along way. Thats what I always preach when coaching.



p.s. I also preach losing isn't an option:p

Best of luck to your wifes team

 

Good story. It looks like the girls have learned to stick together amd work as a team. That's llikely a big factor in their winning record.

It's too bad something can't be done about the abusive father.

 

I don't like getting involved in other people's family business, but this guy is on the verge of tearing this girl down mentally. I can see him yanking her from the school at the end of the year. This girl averaged nearly 30 points a game in middle school and she is a stud. She has received some good college interest but I am afraid her father is going to make her hate basketball when in fact she is a great player and teammate. I think this girl needs to see a school counselor.

 

Seams like that quote would make a good thread NY...

 

Sounds like your wife has a great thing going Brett. Hopefully her status and your new career will get you moved into an area where you are truly happy.

 

Thank you Michael. I am sorry I missed this post. I really do appreciate your thoughts.

Well my wife's team pulled it off tonight in the state quarterfinals in a hard fought game. The girl I described in my first post HIT for 23 points! And she is only a sophomore. They played against a girl that is going to Duke that can shoot! Wow. They were 8 for 10 from the 3 point line as well tonight! Next game is on Wed in the state semi-finals against the number 1 team in the state. My wife's team upset this same school 3 years ago in the state semi-finals when they were the number 1 team in the state as well.