Well I want to look back at some transgressions by professionals that are harmful to their sports and the kids that watch them. The big one to me was the whole controversy about the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks about whether or not the player caught the ball for the game winning touchdown. It clearly wasn’t caught by the Seahawks player but the ref ruled it a touchdown and the NFL backed up the call. This is okay to me, fine thats the call and they are going to stick with it but I felt it was someone on the Seahawks side or NFL league to acknowledge they made a mistake. Possibly sway them to make the correct call or make a rule that will distinguish what protocol will be next time this happens. But everyone including the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks basically said they fought hard and won the game.

Now what does this teach the younger generations if you can get away with something it is okay and you might even get credit when it’s not due. I’ve had a saying for quite some time when I play sports and someone in my mind is not playing the correct way and keeps doing it, I say if thats the way you want to win thats fine but I’d rather win the right way and know I’m really better then you. Sportsmanship has to be followed from the top to the bottom or else our sports that we love are tainted.

There are a few ways to make a superior team, players can shoot for teams by making either a 3 point or free throw shot, you can do captains, or there is the easy way out of picking the people you want on your team.

The latter is usually the worst choice to make teams because this is how teams get stacked with talent.

The next team to play on the court will only pick the best players that lost or that were sitting down so they can win the rest of the day. This is unfair in so many ways. First, people that were sitting who have not played may be ignored and have to sit the majority of the time because others do not think he or she is very good.

This option destroys the competitiveness of the game because these “super” teams are so much better than the rest of the teams that they face.

Although I have seen on occasion stacking a team backfire because there are too many alpha dogs on one team. In most cases though the team is so much better than everyone else it doesn’t make a difference. The other two ways that I stated to create a team also has discrepancies.

The first 5 players to make a basket might be the best players as well because they are the better shooters. The captain system might have one captain who knows who all the good players and the other captain who just guesses or only wants his friends on his team. These things obviously cause disadvantages for the inferior players.

In my opinion the best way to pick teams is to match up players using height, age and skill level, having the person who knows everyone best do this as long as they are honest.

This way is kind of an alteration of the captain process but your focus is to make the teams as even as possible.

Or another option is to have it be a random process and have teams assembled by when they players arrive to the court. The first 5 players on the court are on a team the next 5 players to reach the court are on a team and so on. But if that makes teams a little lopsided then after the first game switch up players to make it more equal.

I don’t go to a court wanting to dominant the whole day with the best of players, I want to face them and have as good of chance of winning games as they do. I look for challenges on the pickup courts not easy wins with little gratification.

Before anything else happens on the basketball court make teams as equal as possible or it is just the beginning of a bad day on the black top.

This obviously needs to change these options are bad solutions it messes up the whole game for everyone. One thing I have done personally is if I am on the team of this player I will call him out.

Most players don’t expect their teammates to say anything because it is helping the team out but it is hurting the game. They might not take this well at first but someone needs to tell them they are ruining the game and who better then his teammate.

Questioning your teammates foul calling will set an example for the rest of the players on the court or those watching from the sideline. Hopefully when they see this going on they might act the same way when put in the same situation.

There is also the problem of a defensive player who fouls too much because he may not be good enough.

This is a much more difficult problem to solve because you cannot really say anything or do anything without making these players upset.There really is only one reasonable thing I can think of and that is too tell the player if they keep playing that way the rest of the players will not play with him anymore.

It is kind of something you do to a child who miss behaves all the time. The player can’t be rewarded for playing bad basketball he must be taught a better way to play.

Changing the way fouls effect the game needs every player’s help it goes back to honesty on the court. It may take one player at a time or one court at a time but practicing these types of methods will make pickup basketball that much greater.

If players are able to be honest and show pride in the way they play pickup basketball it would improve greatly.

I have always had a saying on the court, ” I would rather lose honestly than win that way.” I am always refering to lying or cheating in my eyes. Some players have no problem winning with those qualities but should have more integrity than that.

Lets change pickup basketball for the better. Tell the truth no matter what the circumstances are on the court. Each play and possession effects a pickup game because there usually are a limited amount of them both. You double dribbled and no one noticed it, call it yourself it might determine the outcome of the game.

You’re the player who always call fouls when you already released the ball and it doesn’t make a difference in the shot. Try to hold back about saying you were fouled on the shot unless you can tell yourself I would have made it if I weren’t fouled. Next time you are on the court try to be as truthful as you can and others will follow. A simple thing as doing it the right way will make everyone else question there actions during a pickup game.