urban basketball

Last night we had our final 5th & 6th grade boys basketball game of the season. I'm pleased to mention right off the bat that we came away with a victory in a game of the ages . (Well, I guess as exciting you can get for 5th & 6th grade basketball!) Anyway, we pulled out a win 23-20 after falling down 8 points with only 3 minutes left in the game. My point guard, who is a 5th grader and has the most energy and excitement I have ever seen, basically took over the game by himself. To start the second half the other team hit 3 straight buckets and kind of had our kids (as well as our packed gymnasium) shell shocked. We struggled to get things going because our big man (who is 6 foot, 190 lbs.) plays as weak as a 3rd grader sometimes when he doesn't get the foul call. Amidst are drought I pulled my point guard to the side and said that we need to get some turnovers so start pressuring the ball when inbounded. After 4 straight possessions he began to drop back into our 2-1-2 defense without pressuring the ball. I yelled as loud as I could and stomped my feet to get his attention. It finally sunk in to his head of what I was talking about and once he pressured the ball, it was turnover city and we got some easy buckets. During that 3 minute run to end the game my assistant, (who was keeping the official book at the table with my wife who was running the scoreboard) and I kept laughing and smiling at how our kids were playing. Ah, the joy of elementary basketball where it's not about winning and losing, but about fun, and how you play the game. It's funny, maybe upper level basketball i.e. high school and college, even pro should take notes at the excitement, exurberance, and innocence of these young kids when on the court.