A while back on a Midweek Activity with the youth at the detention center we went into the gym and played Blind and Deaf Referee. Teams each take half of the court. The referee is blind folded and has a headset on playing loud music. He has a whistle which he blows at random. If the ball is in your end of the court when the whistle blows the other team gets a point. So… the object of the game is to keep the ball out of your end of the court. Obviously the referee is blind and deaf to keep him from favoring one team or another. It is always fun. I like it because players of all skill levels can enjoy themselves.
On that particular night a young man participated whose athletic prowess was exceptional. Later, I asked him if he participated in organized sports. His answer was no. There could be a million reasons why not. I didn’t discover his reason, he seemed embarassed. Maybe his parents can’t afford to pay for uniforms. Or perhaps transportation to and from practice is a challenge. Maybe his dad doesn’t have the political clout some other kid’s dad does. Could be the community he lives in ran out of voluteers. Or, possibly, the coaches quit because the parents only wanted babysitters and expressed no interest in either watching or supporting the program. In some places elitism prevails. In others appathy. In every case, the tragedy is that enormous talent, not just athletic, goes unnoticed, unrewarded and underdeveloped.
To get some idea of what I’m talking about here, get a load of this video.
The Ute Indian Tribe has a reservation in a neighboring town. Few of their kids participate in sports at the local High School. Some have elegibility problems, most just don’t get excited about the competetive, do or die culture sports has become. Still, if you visit the Tribal Gymnasium on a Saturday morning, you’ll see some of the most fantasitic basketball around. I was invited over once by my friend Bobby, Grandpa Bob, as the kids call him. I showed up after the game had started. I found Bobby and took a seat behind him. We exchanged greetings and I asked him which team we were rooting for. He gave me look that was at once, exasperated and quizzical. “Both! ” Bobby showed me that it wasn’t about winning and losing, it was about fun, companionship, teamwork and skill development. It was some of the most beautiful basketball I’d ever watched. The teamwork and ball handling were incredible! I’d rather watch those kids than any High School, College or Pro basketball I’ve ever seen. It was clearly more fun and the talent was unbelievable.
We could learn a great lesson from our Native American friends. Nobody gets left out. Everybody’s talent gets developed. There is no elitism and everybody gets included. Show me any High School in the United States and I’ll bet I could find talented kids who are better than those on the court or field. Why are we not reaching out to these kids?
I wish High School sports, in particular, was intramural. Everybody who wants to play plays. Then if you have to compete with other schools, choose an All Star team and have a tournment. Think of the kids! Give them a chance to develop their skills. Keep them off the bus (road trips) and on the court. Think of the money we’d save. Think of the talent we’d develop. In our local High School there are 1000 students. Ten of them play basketball. What is wrong with this picture?
Here’s a great story that illustrates what I mean.
