Video Captures Gunfire At North Carolina Youth Basketball Game
My junior high (that’s middle school in Texas speak) days in athletics coincided with videotaping becoming portable. More importantly, for my dad, affordable. Anyway, from the time I was in 7th grade until my last basket as a high school senior, my parents captured every moment on video. Dad is a professional photographer, so my game films actually looked like they were recorded by a network. As such, not only was the picture top notch, but the audio too. As you might imagine, these game films picked up some interesting and colorful audio over the years, but nothing like the gunfire Ashely Poarch captured this week.
On Wednesday, Poarch (a proud basketball mom) was livestreaming her son’s youth basketball game at the Erwin Center in Gastonia. Out of the clouds you hear a gunshot. Poarch tells WSOC-TV, “You could hear the gun. The whole place shook. We just sat still. We froze.”
The overriding questions for me, you, and anyone with half a brain are who is bringing a gun to a youth basketball game and why?! Well, the who was easy enough to determine. Apparently, it was a coach for a team participating in another game. The gun fell out of his pocket and discharge. How lucky is this guy? He was sitting near the players on the bench and the bullet went straight into the ceiling harming no one.
Gastonia police have charged 45-year-old Wallace Montgomery with weapons law violations. According to Ms. Poarch, there will be no more recreation league games at the Erwin Center. And from the files of “You’d Think We Wouldn’t Have To Do This,” city leaders had meetings yesterday. The purpose? Preventing this from happening again.
As a parent, I still don’t understand. WHY bring a gun at all?!
5 Life Lessons From Coaching Youth Sports
The Meaning of Hard Work
There’s no better feeling than working tirelessly for something you really want, and then accomplishing it. Especially if you are an underdog. You learn to enjoy the struggle. It makes the reward that much sweeter. The most valuable lesson from this piece is that once you dedicate yourself to putting in whatever it takes, this becomes a mindset. No win comes for free. You aren’t entitled to playing time. Both of those must be earned. There’s nothing wrong with reminding yourself of that while preaching to your kids about how to get playing time.
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The Importance of Exercise
Your definition of exercise might be a sweaty cardio workout in the gym. But as a coach, exercise has a broad meaning. Certainly, getting yourself outside with a team and teaching them the importance of stretching and preparing your body is essential to physical success. Coaching a sport like football, for example, your two hours a day on the field are laser-focused on just that. There, you are giving yourself some mental exercise, taking a break from all the other work, stress, or life-circumstances. You can forget everything else when you hit the field, court, or rink.
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Treat Everyone The Same, But Coach Them Differently
Whether you manage a soccer team or a sales team, you’re leading a collection of individuals. What makes your top performer tick is not the same as what makes a lesser player (or employee) with potential, tick. This lesson centers around relationship-building and listening. How you run your team is about you, and how your players apply these guidelines is about them.
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Nobody Is Going Pro At 10 Years Old...
…Nor are they getting a full scholarship offer to a top NCAA college at this age. You may see things in your kid or another on the team where your experience makes you think a certain player has a shot at the big time. But that time is not right now. Your coaching duty is to give the best experience possible to your players. How does creating an entire game plan around one super-talented 10-year old give the other 20 kids a fair chance? How does it give them a memorable experience? Or something to build off for next year. Or confidence. Again, those refereeing your games are most likely high school or college kids themselves. They’re just trying to work and earn some money. Again, cut them some slack.
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You Matter
Your tone in addressing your players, the refs, and the other team matters, too. Be cognizant of how you deliver your messages. You may have an incredibly impactful point to make, but if you don’t articulate it correctly, and cater to your audience, it can be useless. Coaching youth sports is about the overall experience, not the final score, and not the final record. Your stats don’t matter, your voice does.
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