My son, Ryan, plays in a 3rd-4th grade basketball league here in town. We started the season really rough, winning only 1 out of our first 5 games. The kids were really down on themselves and it was tough to keep them enjoying the game. Somehow things turned around and we won 5 of the next 6 games.
The team we beat today is now 1-10 but I didn't know their record before the game started. It was a close one and the kids on both teams played their tails off. At the end of the game, with 1:00 left, we were ahead 31-30. We were inbounding the ball and had designed a special play during a time out. The other team stole the inbound pass and made a layup to go ahead 32-31. With 10 seconds left, we ran down the court and our point guard shot at the buzzer and won the game for us. Our kids went nuts, it was so much fun. [Note: there's no score clock. All points are kept on a clipboard.]
As we were lining up to shake hands with the other team, they started cheering as their coach told them they had won by 1 point. The score keeper and I met at the table with the other coach to discuss the discrepancy. I lobbied my case, as did the other coach, to the referee and the game went to us. The opposing coach was still, honestly, convinced they had won and that I had argued away their only other win of the season.
I know that there is no wrong in lobbying for my guys, especially if I'm honest about it. But if that coach walks away feeling I stole a win from his kids, I've lost. Is a friendship with this guy more valuable to me than a win at the end of my 8 year old's basketball season? Absolutely. But does HE feel the same way? I don't know. That's what I'm struggling with today.
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