Is winning so important?

Would anyone do anything to win a game of basketball or in any other sports?

My kids play basketball for the local club. Comes Friday night, we travel to almost anywhere in the South Eastern of Victoria to play their weekly games. Depending if it’s a home or away game, we could travel up to 40 km away from home.

At the game, each parent takes turn to do the score sheet. Quite an easy job I would think. Considering I have played basketball in my teen days and understand the game myself, how hard can it be?
One parent from one team does the score sheet and one parent from the other team will attend to the clock. I have done scoring a few times since the grading season started 2 months ago.

On game’s night, I dread to be the person doing the score sheet or the clock. On many ocassions I was almost deafened by over-enthuastic screaming parents. :-)

In another eye-opening game last week, half way through the 1st half, the assisatance coach from the other team came over to the desk and told the clock person (lady) and score sheet person (me) that their team made a basket and was not accouted for, the score was not right.
We looked at each other and agreed our score was right and told him so. He mumbled to himself and went back to the team’s bench. A few moments later, the same guy(her team’s assistance coach) came to us again and told the lady to add 2 points because we were wrong.
At this stage, the lady was obviously distressed and were dropping the F bombs in every sentence of her conversation with him. She was complaining loudly about the stress of doing the score sheet. To clam the situation, I quickly told him to leave us to do our tasks as the game was still progressing.
At half time, the lady started sobbing and stormed out the stadium, still dropping the F bombs. Another parent from the other team took over and did the remaining of the clock-attending.

What happened next is unbelievable! Some time in the 2nd half, the same ‘crazy’ guy started hassling me for 2 more points that apparently I missed for his team.
Wah Lao eh! At this stage my patience ran out.  I told him to go away and leave us alone to do the scoring and clock.  Eventually his team won by a few points anyway.

I wasn’t disappointed with our team losing. I am more disappointed because of people like that ‘crazy’ guy spoiling the fun of the game. He put so much stress on himself, his team and other people as well!

I always tell my boys to have fun and exercise, as long as you have tried your best, always learning new things and be a team player. Winning is not everything!