A total of 65 teams qualify for the tournament played in March and April. 31 teams earn automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments. Since the Ivy League does not conduct a post-season tournament, its automatic bid goes to the regular-season conference champion. The remaining 34 tournament slots are granted to at-large bids, which are determined by the Selection Committee, a special committee appointed by the NCAA. Teams whose tournament inclusion status via at-large bids are unclear are called being on the "bubble". The committee also determines where all sixty-five teams are seeded and placed in the bracket. The tournament is split into four regions and each region has teams seeded 1–16, with the committee making every region as comparable to the others as possible. The selection committee seeds teams in an "S" pattern, with the "highest" #1 seed, in the same region as the "lowest" #2 seed, and so on. The best team in each region plays the #16 team, the #2 team plays the #15, and so on. The effect of this seeding structure ensures that the better a team is seeded, the worse-seeded their opponents will be. The brackets are not reseeded after each round. The tournament is single-elimination and there are no consolation games—although there was a third-place game as late as 1981, and each regional had a third-place game through the 1975 tournament. The single-elimination format produces opportunities for Cinderella teams to advance despite playing higher seeded teams. Nonetheless, despite the numerous instances of early-round Tournament upsets, including four instances of a #15 seed defeating a #2 seed, no #1 seed has ever lost in the first round to a #16 seed.
The teams which are still alive after the first weekend advance to the regional semifinals (the Sweet Sixteen) and finals (the Elite Eight) played on the second weekend of the tournament (again, the games are split into Thursday/Saturday and Friday/Sunday). Four regional semi-final games are played Thursday and four are played Friday. After Friday's games, 8 teams (the Elite Eight) remain. Saturday features two regional final games matching Thursday's winners and Sunday's two final games match Friday's winners. After the second weekend of the tournament, the four regional champions emerge as the "Final Four." The winners of each region advance to the Final Four, where the national semifinals are played on Saturday and the national championship is played on Monday. Before the 2004 tournament, the pairings for the semifinals were based on an annual rotation. For example, in 2000, the winner of the West Regional played the winner of the Midwest regional, and the South winner played the East winner; in 2001, the West winner played the East winner and the South played the Midwest; in 2002, the West played the South and the East played the Midwest. Since 2004 and in response to complaints that too often the two best teams remaining squared off in a semifinal game and not in the final game (such as when the last two remaining 1 seeds, Kansas and Maryland, played in one semifinal while a 2 seed and a 5 seed played in the other semifinal), the pairings are determined by the ranking of the four top seeds against each other. The four number one seeds are ranked before the tournament begins.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Lit Circle #2 Brave New World
In the second section of the book, I find out a lot of new and interesting facts about some characters. We also meet some new people that can possibly play a big roll in the future of the book. It starts out with Lenina and Bernard going to the Reservation and they meet two people named John Linda. They kept on tlking abou this guy named "Tomakin" and how he went to the other world. Bernard knows that he is talking about the director, who's name is Thomas but doesn't say anything. Bernard asks John if he would like to go to London with him. He has an ulterior motive that he keeps to himself: he wants to embarrass the Director by exposing him as John’s father. John accepts the proposal, but insists that Linda be allowed to go with him. Bernard promises to seek permission to take both of them. John quotes a line from The Tempest to express his feelings of joy at finally getting to see the Other World that he had heard about as a child: “O brave new world that has such people in it.” Blushing, he asks if Bernard is married to Lenina. Bernard laughs and tells him that he certainly is not. After i read this part, i finally new why the book was called Brave New World.
Back at the Hatchery, the Director tells Henry that he plans to dismiss Bernard in front of dozens of high-caste workers as a public example. He explains that Bernard’s unorthodox behavior threatens stability. Sacrificing one individual for the greater good of the society is no great loss since the Hatchery can churn out dozens of new babies.When Bernard arrives, the Director declares Bernard “heretical” because he refuses to behave like an infant and does not immediately seek to gratify his own desires. He tells Bernard that he is being transferred to Iceland. But then Bernard presents Linda and John. Linda accuses the Director of making her have a baby and the room suddenly falls silent. John falls at the Director’s feet and cries, “My father!” The workers break out into peals of hysterical laughter as the Director rushes from the room.
Back at the Hatchery, the Director tells Henry that he plans to dismiss Bernard in front of dozens of high-caste workers as a public example. He explains that Bernard’s unorthodox behavior threatens stability. Sacrificing one individual for the greater good of the society is no great loss since the Hatchery can churn out dozens of new babies.When Bernard arrives, the Director declares Bernard “heretical” because he refuses to behave like an infant and does not immediately seek to gratify his own desires. He tells Bernard that he is being transferred to Iceland. But then Bernard presents Linda and John. Linda accuses the Director of making her have a baby and the room suddenly falls silent. John falls at the Director’s feet and cries, “My father!” The workers break out into peals of hysterical laughter as the Director rushes from the room.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Should euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide be legal?
This post will be up to you whether you think euthanasia should be legal or not. I'm going to state the reasons for both yes, it should be legal, and no, it should not be legal. personally, i think it depends on who the person is, and their personality. Some people are tough enough to live through the pain and just stick it out till the end. But others may not be as mentally or physically tough and cant take the pain.
YES
People have the right not to be forced to suffer. And if you think ending someone's life to put them out of their misery is a crime, then letting someone suffer through pain for years is as much or more of a crime. A person has the right to say that they want to do to avoid unwanted pain. It is that person's freedom of speech and it is wrong to take that right away from them, especially if they're going to die. What if you were a person in pain for two years. Everyday, you sit in your hospital bed knowing that you will die. Your family is paying a lot of money just to keep you alive. And what if you have a poor family?What would you do then? There is also no evidence or support to show that people have complained after the euthanasia. We need the evidence that shows that horrible slope consequences are likely to occur. The mere possibility that such consequences might occur, as noted earlier, does not constitute such evidence. Many opponents of these practices point to the Hippocratic Oath and its prohibition on hastening death. But those who turn to the oath in an effort to shape or legitimize their ethical viewpoints must realize that the statement has been embraced over approximately the past 200 years far more as a symbol of professional cohesion than for its content. Its pithy sentences cannot be used as all-encompassing maxims to avoid the personal responsibility inherent in the practice of medicine. Ultimately, a physician's conduct at the bedside is a matter of individual conscience.
NO
The history of the law's treatment of assisted suicide in this country has been and continues to be one of the rejection of nearly all efforts to permit it. That being the case, our decisions lead us to conclude that the asserted 'right' to assistance in committing suicide is not a fundamental liberty interest protected by the Due Process Clause. Activists often claim that laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are government mandated suffering. But this claim would be similar to saying that laws against selling contaminated food are government mandated starvation. Laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are in place to prevent abuse and to protect people from unscrupulous doctors and others. They are not, and never have been, intended to make anyone suffer. In debates with those bioethicists and physicians who believe that euthanasia is both deeply compassionate and also a logical way to cut health care costs, I am invariably scorned when I mention 'the slippery slope.' When the states legalize the deliberate ending of certain lives -- I try to tell them. It will eventually broaden the categories of those who can be put to death with impunity.
YES
People have the right not to be forced to suffer. And if you think ending someone's life to put them out of their misery is a crime, then letting someone suffer through pain for years is as much or more of a crime. A person has the right to say that they want to do to avoid unwanted pain. It is that person's freedom of speech and it is wrong to take that right away from them, especially if they're going to die. What if you were a person in pain for two years. Everyday, you sit in your hospital bed knowing that you will die. Your family is paying a lot of money just to keep you alive. And what if you have a poor family?What would you do then? There is also no evidence or support to show that people have complained after the euthanasia. We need the evidence that shows that horrible slope consequences are likely to occur. The mere possibility that such consequences might occur, as noted earlier, does not constitute such evidence. Many opponents of these practices point to the Hippocratic Oath and its prohibition on hastening death. But those who turn to the oath in an effort to shape or legitimize their ethical viewpoints must realize that the statement has been embraced over approximately the past 200 years far more as a symbol of professional cohesion than for its content. Its pithy sentences cannot be used as all-encompassing maxims to avoid the personal responsibility inherent in the practice of medicine. Ultimately, a physician's conduct at the bedside is a matter of individual conscience.
NO
The history of the law's treatment of assisted suicide in this country has been and continues to be one of the rejection of nearly all efforts to permit it. That being the case, our decisions lead us to conclude that the asserted 'right' to assistance in committing suicide is not a fundamental liberty interest protected by the Due Process Clause. Activists often claim that laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are government mandated suffering. But this claim would be similar to saying that laws against selling contaminated food are government mandated starvation. Laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are in place to prevent abuse and to protect people from unscrupulous doctors and others. They are not, and never have been, intended to make anyone suffer. In debates with those bioethicists and physicians who believe that euthanasia is both deeply compassionate and also a logical way to cut health care costs, I am invariably scorned when I mention 'the slippery slope.' When the states legalize the deliberate ending of certain lives -- I try to tell them. It will eventually broaden the categories of those who can be put to death with impunity.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Brave New World
Dar·win·ism
–noun
the Darwinian theory that species originate by descent, with variation, from parent forms, through the natural selection of those individuals best adapted for the reproductive success of their kind.
I think this book, Brave New World is very interesting in a sense the author, Aldous Huxley opposed his father, Thomas Huxley, in their views of Darwinism. Thomas Huxley was a biologist and a true believer in Darwinism. In the book, it totally goes against the Darwin ways in that people are chosen how they live instead of making they're own way of living and surviving(survival of the fittest). Aldous Huxley writes about how people are literally made from labs and are selected to be either average, stupid, or smart. He also groups them in a specific clan such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon. These groups are very secluded toward each other. "Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm really glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And we are much better than Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki." page 27 These kids are trained in a specific way so they can do what they are made to do. For example, the smart group listens to these facts over and over again until they have them memorized in their heads. These practices remind me of a movie called Merry Christmas. The movie was about World War I and in the very first scenes, they have kids from different countries such as Austria, Germany, Russia, France, and even the USA rehearsing verses about annihilating there opponent or "destroying anything in their path." Personally, i would not want to live in this society because i can't control my own destiny. Even though I have to work harder for it, it is better than just being made into something without knowing.
–noun
the Darwinian theory that species originate by descent, with variation, from parent forms, through the natural selection of those individuals best adapted for the reproductive success of their kind.
I think this book, Brave New World is very interesting in a sense the author, Aldous Huxley opposed his father, Thomas Huxley, in their views of Darwinism. Thomas Huxley was a biologist and a true believer in Darwinism. In the book, it totally goes against the Darwin ways in that people are chosen how they live instead of making they're own way of living and surviving(survival of the fittest). Aldous Huxley writes about how people are literally made from labs and are selected to be either average, stupid, or smart. He also groups them in a specific clan such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon. These groups are very secluded toward each other. "Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm really glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And we are much better than Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki." page 27 These kids are trained in a specific way so they can do what they are made to do. For example, the smart group listens to these facts over and over again until they have them memorized in their heads. These practices remind me of a movie called Merry Christmas. The movie was about World War I and in the very first scenes, they have kids from different countries such as Austria, Germany, Russia, France, and even the USA rehearsing verses about annihilating there opponent or "destroying anything in their path." Personally, i would not want to live in this society because i can't control my own destiny. Even though I have to work harder for it, it is better than just being made into something without knowing.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Hawaii University
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system. The school is located in Mānoa, an urban neighborhood community of Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, approximately three miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu and one mile from Ala Moana and Waikīkī. The campus occupies the eastern half of the mouth of the greater Mānoa Valley. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is governed by the Hawaii State Legislature and a semi-autonomous Board of Regents, which in turn hires a president to be administrator. Today the primary facet of the university consists of the four Colleges of Arts and Sciences: Arts and Humanities, Languages Literatures and Linguistics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The college of agriculture and mechanical arts is now the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, one of the few agricultural colleges in the United States focused on tropical research. The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is also home to two of the most prominent professional schools in the state. The William S. Richardson School of Law and the John A. Burns School of Medicine are the only law and medical schools in Hawaii, respectively. The Center for Hawaiian Studies provides 'excellence in the pursuit of knowledge concerning the Native people of Hawaii.' Together, the colleges of the university offer bachelor degrees in 87 fields of study, master degrees in 87 fields, doctoral degrees in 53 fields, first professional degrees in three fields, post-baccalaureate degrees in three fields, 29 undergraduate certification programs and 26 graduate certification programs. Total enrollment as of 2006 was 20,357 students, 14,307 of which are undergraduates. There are approximately sixteen students per instructor.
Over last summer, my family and I went on a vacation to the islands of Hawaii and I really enjoyed. After the fun trip, I thought of the University of Hawaii and imagining what it would be like going to school in paradise. I also thought about getting an athletic scholarship with either baseball, or basketball. Or if i exceed in both then I could play both! I think that would be my dream come true. To play i sport I love in a place I love. This gives me a lot of incentive to do well in school and my sports so i can have a chance to make this be able to come true. Hawaii's SAT scores are a little lower than the scores of a UC but are still above average. I am really trying to do well in all my high school aspects so I can get to a good college and better yet, one that I dream of going to. My sister is currently going to UC San Diego and loves it there. I have visited the campus there and it is very nice. Unfortunately, when I was on vacation, I didn't have anytime to visit the University. I hope i have more time one day to visit the college and see if i really like it or not.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Alameda vs. Northgate NCS
On Tuesday, February twenty third, our varsity basketball team had a North Coast Section(NCS) playoff game against the Northgate broncos. This is the second year in a row that we have made it into the NCS playoffs. From our scouting reports, northgate had good shooters, and were very physical. also, we heard that their fans were very loud and obnoxious. I got moved up from the JV team to the varsity team about a week before the game. Even though i knew i was not going to play that much, i was still nervous. The Hornets' 75-60 first-round win over No. 6 seed Northgate was their first NCS Division II playoff victory since 1996. Senior guard Taylor Takahashi scored a game-high 22 points against Northgate. Taylor fractured his ankle a week ago and he still pulled off an amazing performance. Damien Stowers had a terrific game with 11 rebounds and 16 points. He had a monster dunk over anther player which set the tone for the rest of the game. Jared Tatman also had a good game with many blocked shots and showed a lot of hustle on the court. Anthony Waters had a good defensive game keeping Northgate's leading scorer to only 10 points. Shawn Johnson had a fair game with 10 points and 6 assists. He handled Northgate's defense calmly and by doing so, we were able to come out with the win. Playing with a chip on their shoulder after being snubbed a first round NCS home game, the Alameda Hornets blew past the Northgate Broncos 75-60 on Tuesday in Walnut Creek. The win is Alameda's first in division II NCS play since 1996. The Hornets took a big lead in the second quarter and refused to let up, using their superior size and athleticism to upset their Diablo Valley Athletic League opponents.
The Broncos held close for the first eight minutes, but Alameda began to pull away early in the second quarter. Damien Stowers threw down an emphatic jam in traffic to commence a 16-4 run. Taylor Takahashi, who led all scorers with 22 points, had eight in this stretch, including two threes, silencing the rowdy Bronco crowd. Northgate struggled to break the Hornets tight man-to-man defense. The Broncos fired away from the outside, but found little success, converting just 14% (3-22) from three-point range. Alameda held sharpshooting guards Blake Bergesen and Mike Degarmo to just one trey apiece. Northgate also struggled from the free throw line (15-32). Beginning the second half with an eleven point lead, Alameda kept up the pace. Quickly, the Broncos fell into foul trouble. Just three minutes into the second half, Alameda had already drawn seven fouls. They shot free throws from then out, and this effectively put Northgate away. Big man Jared Tatman came off the bench and displayed a soft outside touch, knocking down a three from the top of the key. The Senior center also easily defended the Bronco big men, swatting a career-high six shots. Juan Neri played well from the wing, amassing 12 points.
Ahead by 22 with four minutes to play, Alameda was able to substitute in their Junior Varsity call-ups. The Hornets played almost all underclassman; Jesse Lewis, Sam Kunz, Elvedin Tudzinovic, and I for the final minutes. Alameda moves on to the second round of the tournament on Friday against the third-seeded Ukiah Wildcats, who are coming off a first-round bye. The winner will take on the winner of Redwood/Mt. Eden, in the semi-final. I have to give credit to our Coach, Ed Hawkins for preparing us for the game. He told us that Northgate was going to be rough and very physical. He warned us that we had to be focused the whole game and ignore the loud, noisy crowd cheering against us. All the things he said came true and we completed our task of staying composed and winning the game.
The Broncos held close for the first eight minutes, but Alameda began to pull away early in the second quarter. Damien Stowers threw down an emphatic jam in traffic to commence a 16-4 run. Taylor Takahashi, who led all scorers with 22 points, had eight in this stretch, including two threes, silencing the rowdy Bronco crowd. Northgate struggled to break the Hornets tight man-to-man defense. The Broncos fired away from the outside, but found little success, converting just 14% (3-22) from three-point range. Alameda held sharpshooting guards Blake Bergesen and Mike Degarmo to just one trey apiece. Northgate also struggled from the free throw line (15-32). Beginning the second half with an eleven point lead, Alameda kept up the pace. Quickly, the Broncos fell into foul trouble. Just three minutes into the second half, Alameda had already drawn seven fouls. They shot free throws from then out, and this effectively put Northgate away. Big man Jared Tatman came off the bench and displayed a soft outside touch, knocking down a three from the top of the key. The Senior center also easily defended the Bronco big men, swatting a career-high six shots. Juan Neri played well from the wing, amassing 12 points.
Ahead by 22 with four minutes to play, Alameda was able to substitute in their Junior Varsity call-ups. The Hornets played almost all underclassman; Jesse Lewis, Sam Kunz, Elvedin Tudzinovic, and I for the final minutes. Alameda moves on to the second round of the tournament on Friday against the third-seeded Ukiah Wildcats, who are coming off a first-round bye. The winner will take on the winner of Redwood/Mt. Eden, in the semi-final. I have to give credit to our Coach, Ed Hawkins for preparing us for the game. He told us that Northgate was going to be rough and very physical. He warned us that we had to be focused the whole game and ignore the loud, noisy crowd cheering against us. All the things he said came true and we completed our task of staying composed and winning the game.
Friday, February 19, 2010
My Crisis of Faith
I have already written about this topic in my final essay blog post but I think I need to expand and get into some details. In sports, I believe a coach and his or her players need to have a certain connection to be successful. In order for a connection to happen, trust needs to be earned between the players and coach. That trust must be earned by the coach as well as by the players. This year, not only has my former coach broken his trust with me, but many of the supervisors at Alameda High who I use to trust lost a lot of respect from me. This all began before winter break during the Alameda High School men’s basketball tournament. In our first game against McClymonds High school, I was getting really frustrated at the coach, Mr. Felder, because he was being very negative and he wasn’t coaching but instead yelling at his players. Then during the game, he gave up on our team by sitting at the end of the bench with his head in his hands, moping. Mr. Felder also pulled out all of the starters, including myself. I was very upset because we were still playing hard and deserved a chance to try and win the game. And the game was still close but he thought that we already lost. Finally, he decided to put back all the starters again but by then we were down 25 points, too far behind to catch up so I told him, “I’m tired” because I was frustrated with his attitude. We ended up losing the game because of him. Afterward, I vented to the head varsity coach and my parents on what my frustration was, that our coach had quit on our team. The head varsity coach went to speak to Mr. Felder to get his feedback. The head varsity coach returned, then explained to my parents and I that Mr. Felder had told him that I had quit on the team! I was completely shocked! The head coach told me and my parents that we would have a meeting and discuss the situation without any penalty later in the week. We agreed and I expected to play in game the next day against Skyline High.
The next day, December 19, Saturday, we were to play Skyline at 2pm. With game time approaching, I notice that Mr. Felder had not entered the locker room to give the customary pre-game speech. Instead, the women’s JV basketball coach, Mr. Burnett, walked into the locker room. How odd I thought? Mr. Burnett then proceeded to blast the players for not playing together the night before, singling out the Captains, particularly me by accusing me of quitting on the team. Minutes to game time, the doors open and the team walks out to their bench. A minute later I come out with Mr. Felder behind him. My teammate Zac, who had turned his ankle, was in street clothes and asked me, “Are you ready?” I replied, “I’m not playing, I’ve been suspended.” Mr. Felder had ordered all of my teammates out of the locker room, and then told me I had been suspended. I thought we had all agreed that no actions were to be taken until all the facts had come out in our upcoming meeting on Wednesday. I guess not! Yet, I sat on the bench, encouraged my teammates, and I really wanted to be there for them. The 3rd quarter rolled around, a time out was called, and my teammates and I huddled together. During the huddle, another teammate made a comment out of frustration. Mr. Felder thought he was giving him attitude and said, “There must be something wrong with this team and you all have attitude problems.” I looked at my injured teammate Zac and we just rolled our eyes. Then all of a sudden, Mr. Felder started to bark at us asking if were having a conversation. I said, “No. We weren’t talking.” He replied, “Well you can go sit down at the end of the bench.” I was so mad that I walked into the locker room and took my frustrations out in there instead of exploding in front of him. As I walked out of the locker room to return to the bench, I see my dad and I told him, “It’s not right, I didn’t say anything. He kicked me out of the huddle!” What ever happened to our agreement to meet to discuss the situation, and just let me play? Minutes later, my family and I walked out of the gym humiliated and furious.
My parents pulled me from the team, we had a series of meetings with the head varsity coach, the athletic director, and the principal, but all we got out of it were lies and slander. They labeled me a “Quitter” and took the side of the Mr. Felder, without even considering the facts. My parents called the Superintendents office and we asked for an investigation of all parties involved and to ask parents, players, and coaches what really happened. On Monday, February 1st, we were informed that Mr. Felder had been fired for conduct unbecoming a coach. He had yelled at all the players during practice the week before and then proceeded to humiliate a player, calling him a “cry baby” and then saying, “You can tell that to your punk-ass dad.” My parents had another meeting with the Superintendent and the principal, they apologized to what had happened to me during the winter break, and after checking out the facts I was cleared of the suspension, that I didn’t quit on the team, the coach did. What really bothered me was that the school administrators believed Mr. Felder without even talking to me about what happened. I wasn’t given a chance to tell my side.
As a player, I am trained to respect and trust my coaches. As a person, I am trained to respect and trust my elders. This really challenged me because I could not do what I was trained to do. Instead, I had to watch my back and I couldn’t trust the people who I am suppose to. I didn’t quit the team, or quit on myself. Even though the “Adults” lied and tried to blame me for their problems, I stuck to what I felt in my heart, to tell the truth and stand up for what I thought was right, even though it might cause me to stop doing what I love, like playing basketball. I lost my faith in some of the teachers at Alameda High, but I have learned that adversity really does test your beliefs and I’ve become a stronger person for it. Yesterday, I was selected along with three other teammates to join the varsity team for the NCS playoffs.
The next day, December 19, Saturday, we were to play Skyline at 2pm. With game time approaching, I notice that Mr. Felder had not entered the locker room to give the customary pre-game speech. Instead, the women’s JV basketball coach, Mr. Burnett, walked into the locker room. How odd I thought? Mr. Burnett then proceeded to blast the players for not playing together the night before, singling out the Captains, particularly me by accusing me of quitting on the team. Minutes to game time, the doors open and the team walks out to their bench. A minute later I come out with Mr. Felder behind him. My teammate Zac, who had turned his ankle, was in street clothes and asked me, “Are you ready?” I replied, “I’m not playing, I’ve been suspended.” Mr. Felder had ordered all of my teammates out of the locker room, and then told me I had been suspended. I thought we had all agreed that no actions were to be taken until all the facts had come out in our upcoming meeting on Wednesday. I guess not! Yet, I sat on the bench, encouraged my teammates, and I really wanted to be there for them. The 3rd quarter rolled around, a time out was called, and my teammates and I huddled together. During the huddle, another teammate made a comment out of frustration. Mr. Felder thought he was giving him attitude and said, “There must be something wrong with this team and you all have attitude problems.” I looked at my injured teammate Zac and we just rolled our eyes. Then all of a sudden, Mr. Felder started to bark at us asking if were having a conversation. I said, “No. We weren’t talking.” He replied, “Well you can go sit down at the end of the bench.” I was so mad that I walked into the locker room and took my frustrations out in there instead of exploding in front of him. As I walked out of the locker room to return to the bench, I see my dad and I told him, “It’s not right, I didn’t say anything. He kicked me out of the huddle!” What ever happened to our agreement to meet to discuss the situation, and just let me play? Minutes later, my family and I walked out of the gym humiliated and furious.
My parents pulled me from the team, we had a series of meetings with the head varsity coach, the athletic director, and the principal, but all we got out of it were lies and slander. They labeled me a “Quitter” and took the side of the Mr. Felder, without even considering the facts. My parents called the Superintendents office and we asked for an investigation of all parties involved and to ask parents, players, and coaches what really happened. On Monday, February 1st, we were informed that Mr. Felder had been fired for conduct unbecoming a coach. He had yelled at all the players during practice the week before and then proceeded to humiliate a player, calling him a “cry baby” and then saying, “You can tell that to your punk-ass dad.” My parents had another meeting with the Superintendent and the principal, they apologized to what had happened to me during the winter break, and after checking out the facts I was cleared of the suspension, that I didn’t quit on the team, the coach did. What really bothered me was that the school administrators believed Mr. Felder without even talking to me about what happened. I wasn’t given a chance to tell my side.
As a player, I am trained to respect and trust my coaches. As a person, I am trained to respect and trust my elders. This really challenged me because I could not do what I was trained to do. Instead, I had to watch my back and I couldn’t trust the people who I am suppose to. I didn’t quit the team, or quit on myself. Even though the “Adults” lied and tried to blame me for their problems, I stuck to what I felt in my heart, to tell the truth and stand up for what I thought was right, even though it might cause me to stop doing what I love, like playing basketball. I lost my faith in some of the teachers at Alameda High, but I have learned that adversity really does test your beliefs and I’ve become a stronger person for it. Yesterday, I was selected along with three other teammates to join the varsity team for the NCS playoffs.
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