What a mess at today's basketball game.
At some point in the second quarter the other team accidentally scored in our basket, and the players on our bench cheered...they're second graders. The coach from the other team walked out on the court then turned towards my bench and started berating me (the coach) for not having control of my team. I told him firmly/politely to please return to his bench, and he went into some "ah hell nah, so this how it gonna be" routine with the yelling and bowing up and everything. I again told him to not address my players or me and return to the bench. Eventually the referee saw this, called time out, etc. and got things under control for the moment.
In the second half the play got pretty rough, beyond just physical...kids getting pushed down intentionally, etc. Somehow we got through it and even got all players to say "good game", the coach and I shook hands, and off we went.
On the way out, the coach's mother (I guess her grandson was on the other team) comes up to me and starts yelling about how I need a lesson in sportsmanship and blah-blah-blah. I keep walking and ignore her while she's going into her, "oh so now you just gonna walk away?" deal. Then the coach comes at me and says don't be dissing his momma like that and axes me do I just wanna go right now. Next thing you know all the parents on his team are holding up their phones to try and get something good for WorldStarHipHop. I refused to engage this crowd in any way and hustled my kids out the door.
I'm going to speak with my team (and parents) at our next practice about what happened today. I don't really want to push the point that I was right and the other guy was a jerk or anything, but rather I would like to come up some ways we can prepare ourselves for the next time this happens, how we (coaches, players, and parents) should behave, etc.
Anybody have any thoughts or advice for me? Thanks!!!
Again, these are second graders, and they don't even keep score at the games.