The Right Thing To Do

Every once in a while a coach has to make a really tough decision. Decisions made during the game are easy. It’s the off-the-court decisions that are really tough.

Yesterday Shilique Calhoun of Middletown North walked off the court early in the third quarter of a big showdown game with division rival CBA. If you’re reading this blog you’ve no doubt heard the story by now and the only question left is what does Coach Mike Iasparro do about Mr. Calhoun. For guys like me that’s a no-brainer. But, for better or for worse, guys like me seem to be in the minority these days. We live in an age where nobody seems to be accountable for their actions. Screw up in class? It’s the teachers fault. Get caught shoplifting? Parents’ fault. Do anything wrong and there is usually somebody else you can blame it on. Well, I say not this time.

Coach Iasparro should give Shilique Calhoun the greatest gift he can give him. Give him the gift of responsibility. Kick him off the team. It’s the right thing to do. Make him responsible for his actions. Make him walk the halls of that school for the next three months and look at the faces of the kids he let down. Don’t let him off the hook here, coach. You won’t be helping him one bit by doing that. Let him feel the sting of knowing that his behavior cost him the trust and faith of his teammates. And don’t take the easy way out, Coach. Don’t take the ” I’ll leave it up to his teammates” approach. They are kids and this calls for an adult decision.

This will hurt the Middletown North basketball team. There is no doubt about that. Calhoun is a force, a looming presence on the floor who is the intimidator and controls the paint. Without him Middletown North suddenly becomes a smaller, much less physical team. But they will still be a team with talented kids who love to play. So let those kids play and I’ll root for them to win. If they don’t win the SCT so be it. If they lose in the states so be it.

Some people would sell their souls here. I know you won’t do that, Coach. Teach these kids that we are all responsible for our actions. Every single one of us. There’s a price to pay for behaving badly. At least there should be.  Basketball games mean nothing. Titles mean nothing. Trophies mean nothing. Tell the rest of your team that now is the time to step up and play their hearts out. Win or lose, they can hold their heads up. That goes for you too, Coach. Do the right thing and you can hold your head up. No matter what happens.