For Love Of The Game

Professional sports (and to some degree, high level collegiate athletics, too) have a lot of things going for them. Talented athletes, dramatic rivalries, championship runs, victory parades. There is the ever-present possibility that you could witness a moment so sublime that it will be replayed in minds and on film for generations. For those of us who get especially geek-y over these things, there is also the business of the game, the player movements that provide hope for the future and fodder for talk radio. Sports can consume your day in this age of instant access, and few enjoy that reality more than myself. But, there is something that is undoubtably absent from sports at the highest level- innocence.

I started coaching my daughter's basketball team this year, and while a bunch of 8 and 9 year old boys and girls may lack the finesse and honed skills of the athletes we watch on TV, they do exhibit a kind of unbridled joy and innocence about the game. It isn't about contract extensions, bling-bling, endorsements or even championship rings. It is sports in its truest form. These kids are out there for no grander reason than to have fun running up and down an 84' x 50' stretch of hardwood with their friends and a bouncy ball. Sure, we try to teach the finer points of defense and boxing out, of passing to the open teammate and squaring the shoulders to shoot, and that's fine. But to the kids, that's the "boring" part. Once you hand them the ball, it is all about the free-form romp on the court, a controlled frenzy that in some way resembles that game they see on TV but is entirely within their control. You try to hand them the tools that they need to play within the rules, but ultimately they are free to take the game as it comes to them. They may be playing a 2-1-2 zone, and they may even be playing it well, but they don't care. It is just a game.

It is probably hard for non-parents to fully understand this, unless their memory is better than mine and they can recall the joyous moment when your shot sails- or more likely bounces, rolls and clangs- through that net, but I can see it in the face of every kid out there. And I can see it when they pass the ball to no one and it rolls out of bounds, eliciting laughter from kids and coaches alike. The coach will certainly point out that this is probably not the most effective offensive strategy, but oh well, we'll get it next time. I can't tell you how many times I've shouted "hands up on D!" and seen a more enthusiastic response than in any NBA game. OK, it will only be a few seconds before I have to shout it again, but I'll get that same enthusiasm when I do. And you can't hope to understand the look of terror on a kid's face when they realize they've picked up their dribble and there is no one to pass to, followed by the relief, as though the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders, when someone finally breaks free and they can get rid of that ball! Nope, you won't get it unless you see it for yourself. Watch a 4' tall kid execute a behind-the-back cross-over with a ball half the kid's size, and you can't help but laugh. It was a nice move, to be sure, but it looks funny. And the kids have no idea what the coaches are laughing about.

I have long been a fierce competitor, I loathe losing. I can't stop myself from diving for a loose ball even though I'm playing pick-up with a bunch of out of shape 30-plus guys, supposedly for "fun". It isn't in my nature to do it any other way. The kids though, it is different. They do want to win, they understand it, but it isn't all about that. It is sports in its purest form. The kids are out there for one reason, and only one reason...they play For The Love Of The Game.










The C's and Pats continue to roll, UMass soccer plays in the NCAA Final Four on Friday, UMass hoops takes on BC tonight at 9 and UMass hockey is among the best in the nation. Life is good. Stay tuned for a full breakdown on the grown-up's games for Barstool Friday.