Deep in Dorchester...
Another amazing game last night. We traveled deep into Dorchester, to the Perkins Community Center, where we played after the girls in a thrilling and unusual game against the first place team in our league.
Perkins Community Center was functional, though low on the frills. Our kids changed in the hallway outside the bathroom, professing not to want any part of that scene (and yes, profound amounts of lotion were again lathered upon CCSC's youngsters). After the girls game, which was played with 16 minute running half's, making the total time of the game about 40 minutes, totally ridiculous, our team got out onto the court to enjoy...4 minutes of warm-ups. After speaking with the opposing coach who offered us the choice of 16 minute stop time half's or 20 minute running time half's, a decision which I thought comical and insisted we go with the league-regulated stop time option, he asked the refs and then informed me it would be 20 minute running time half's. And that was that.
They were big. Very big. They did not start huge, going small coming out of the gates, but they had four or five guys who towered over our center, easily 6'4" or taller. One was particularly skilled, hooks, drop-steps, an attempted oop from the sideline on an out-of-bounds play, could hit foul shots. Codman did not shoot, though, and did not prove that they could. Our strategy was to make them show us they could shoot, to box out and to take charges, which we had worked on all week in practice.
The first half was ugly. We fell behind early and were out-sized. Codman played an up and down style that our kids recognized from the park. CCSC's starters immediately resorted to all that we have been trying to coach out of them. Codman's press totally disrupted our offensive flow and seemed to cause consecutive turn-over's on multiple occasions. We were frazzled. The gym was loud and raucous and these kids were as big as we expected, if not more so. At halftime, trailing 25-11, we talked about the style of play, the uncontrollable variables, the fact that we could play with this team, if we did it in smart fashion.
With 12 minutes to play in the second half and CCSC still down big, I decided to give it three or four minutes and then let some of the players who have not yet gotten in some exposure. It did not, however, end up that way. With 9 minutes to play, we remained down 31-17, but continued to play hard and started to chip away at the league. Jude hit some crucial shots and Bayoan, still without a left hand, took over, scoring 8 straight points, seemingly taking the ball length to length with no one capable of stopping him. Geo also played well and Wale, an enigmatic player who sometimes shows up mentally and sometimes fails to, drew three charges throughout the contest. Michael also drew one, inspiring the team and making the coaches realize that these kids, after two practices and one new charge-taking drill, were beginning to buy it.
With 2:20 left, Michael's charge and the ensuing offenseive possession, where Jude got the ball at the elbow, patiently waved off a screen, and drove past his man for an And1, which he converted to make the score 33-33. Codman was flustered and we were confident, excited, amazed that the game was tied... Codman scored again and, on the other end, Geo was fouled. As he has been all season, he sank the first. He dropped the second as well, but Chuck was called for a lane violation, probably the right call, and the basket was waved off. Codman then scored again, making it 37-34. Morgan came back and drove to the hoop, scoring on a spectacular finger roll under Codman's star center, making it a one point game. We fouled, they missed both free throws and with 11 seconds to go, Bayoan raced up the floor. He did not look to hit teammates, and perhaps he should have. Instead, he drove right, spun back to his left and attempted a jump shot that hit the front of the rim. Amazingly, he got the board and threw up another one, this one a fade-away, but it also missed, leaving us with a 0-2 record and some crushed kids.
We talked afterwards about how another team had taken a game from us, how they had done it in a fashion, and celebrated afterwards, in a way that did not show class, that did not show that they expected to win. The entire set-up, from the Center to the time to the refs was very questionable. But we've been spoiled, playing our games at MIT with decent officials, a scoreboard and official timer, etc. We will continue to travel to situations where the odds are stacked against us and must learn to win regardless. The team emerged into the Dorchester night for the ride home dejected, but instructed to keep heads' high.
These kids played so hard, went at kids who were older and so much bigger and stronger with a tenacity that is nothing short of inspiring. They were not intimidated. They believe that they can play with anyone. They continue to see games, as I did, dichotomously. We either win or lose. There are no nuanced victories, nor moral ones. They believe we belong. They believe we'll be ok in this league where other teams have older kids. They believe in what we're doing, our practice drills, what they're told. And I believe them, and in them. Wholeheartedly.
Perkins Community Center was functional, though low on the frills. Our kids changed in the hallway outside the bathroom, professing not to want any part of that scene (and yes, profound amounts of lotion were again lathered upon CCSC's youngsters). After the girls game, which was played with 16 minute running half's, making the total time of the game about 40 minutes, totally ridiculous, our team got out onto the court to enjoy...4 minutes of warm-ups. After speaking with the opposing coach who offered us the choice of 16 minute stop time half's or 20 minute running time half's, a decision which I thought comical and insisted we go with the league-regulated stop time option, he asked the refs and then informed me it would be 20 minute running time half's. And that was that.
They were big. Very big. They did not start huge, going small coming out of the gates, but they had four or five guys who towered over our center, easily 6'4" or taller. One was particularly skilled, hooks, drop-steps, an attempted oop from the sideline on an out-of-bounds play, could hit foul shots. Codman did not shoot, though, and did not prove that they could. Our strategy was to make them show us they could shoot, to box out and to take charges, which we had worked on all week in practice.
The first half was ugly. We fell behind early and were out-sized. Codman played an up and down style that our kids recognized from the park. CCSC's starters immediately resorted to all that we have been trying to coach out of them. Codman's press totally disrupted our offensive flow and seemed to cause consecutive turn-over's on multiple occasions. We were frazzled. The gym was loud and raucous and these kids were as big as we expected, if not more so. At halftime, trailing 25-11, we talked about the style of play, the uncontrollable variables, the fact that we could play with this team, if we did it in smart fashion.
With 12 minutes to play in the second half and CCSC still down big, I decided to give it three or four minutes and then let some of the players who have not yet gotten in some exposure. It did not, however, end up that way. With 9 minutes to play, we remained down 31-17, but continued to play hard and started to chip away at the league. Jude hit some crucial shots and Bayoan, still without a left hand, took over, scoring 8 straight points, seemingly taking the ball length to length with no one capable of stopping him. Geo also played well and Wale, an enigmatic player who sometimes shows up mentally and sometimes fails to, drew three charges throughout the contest. Michael also drew one, inspiring the team and making the coaches realize that these kids, after two practices and one new charge-taking drill, were beginning to buy it.
With 2:20 left, Michael's charge and the ensuing offenseive possession, where Jude got the ball at the elbow, patiently waved off a screen, and drove past his man for an And1, which he converted to make the score 33-33. Codman was flustered and we were confident, excited, amazed that the game was tied... Codman scored again and, on the other end, Geo was fouled. As he has been all season, he sank the first. He dropped the second as well, but Chuck was called for a lane violation, probably the right call, and the basket was waved off. Codman then scored again, making it 37-34. Morgan came back and drove to the hoop, scoring on a spectacular finger roll under Codman's star center, making it a one point game. We fouled, they missed both free throws and with 11 seconds to go, Bayoan raced up the floor. He did not look to hit teammates, and perhaps he should have. Instead, he drove right, spun back to his left and attempted a jump shot that hit the front of the rim. Amazingly, he got the board and threw up another one, this one a fade-away, but it also missed, leaving us with a 0-2 record and some crushed kids.
We talked afterwards about how another team had taken a game from us, how they had done it in a fashion, and celebrated afterwards, in a way that did not show class, that did not show that they expected to win. The entire set-up, from the Center to the time to the refs was very questionable. But we've been spoiled, playing our games at MIT with decent officials, a scoreboard and official timer, etc. We will continue to travel to situations where the odds are stacked against us and must learn to win regardless. The team emerged into the Dorchester night for the ride home dejected, but instructed to keep heads' high.
These kids played so hard, went at kids who were older and so much bigger and stronger with a tenacity that is nothing short of inspiring. They were not intimidated. They believe that they can play with anyone. They continue to see games, as I did, dichotomously. We either win or lose. There are no nuanced victories, nor moral ones. They believe we belong. They believe we'll be ok in this league where other teams have older kids. They believe in what we're doing, our practice drills, what they're told. And I believe them, and in them. Wholeheartedly.
posted by caleb at 12:38 PM
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