BASKETBALL FIGHT AT A 7TH/8TH GRADE GAME HAS FATAL OUTCOME

I’m not sure what it is with basketball at the middle school level this week and crazy stories, but here comes another one. Apparently, some fans didn’t like some calls at a game in Vermont. Or they didn’t like the way a couple of fans were acting. Either way it broke out into a fight on the court between parents of the opposing teams. This happens from time to time when people let their passion turn into emotion and overstep the line where fandom becomes general harassment, and then assault. There isn’t much in the stories or video to let us know exactly what happened but this video is disturbing in two ways. First, you see one of the young players start to wail on someone in the scrum. Second, one of the people in the fight went to the hospital and died most likely due to their health, but the fight exacerbated it. As a coach and spectator I have seen terrible calls and had every reason to feel upset, but never so much as to want to get into a fight with someone. It’s sad to see this happen and to think parents feel the need to ruin their kids’ experience. Now that someone has actually died will it get through to some people? I have hope that it does.