Also Religion, Community News and Classifieds THURSDAY,February27,2020
Timothy.
Ramsey
Sports
Columnist
Parents,
please stop
the madness!
About a year ago, I
wrote a column about
what I think is wrong with
youth sports. I touched
on different issues from
coaches, players, refs and
the parents. After another
year of watching youth
sports evolve from differ
ent perspectives, the main
problem is the parents,
without question.
I see now that it’s the
parents who are caus
ing most of the issues
for youth sports, on and
off the court, specifically
basketball. For the sake
of this article, I will only
reference youth basket-
ball, because it’s the sport
I’ve witnessed the worst
conduct in all of the youth
sports.
Profanity, physical
threats, bad coaching
advice, and undermin
ing the coach are some
of the major problems
that I have witnessed on
the court. I thought that
it may just be a small is
sue with certain leagues
or age groups, but I see
now that it is a sport-wide
problem that is only get
ting worse.
Some of the things
that I have heard from
these out-of-control par
ents are unbelievable. I
have seen more parents
thrown out of basketball
games in the past three
years than I have in my
entire life. I am not claim
ing that all parents are
doing this, but the num
ber of parents who are is
higher than many people
are willing to acknowl
edge..
What these parents
fail to realize is that they
are doing their children
a great disservice by
acting this way in the
stands. When the kids see
their parents cursing and
yelling, it’s only natural
that they mimic some of
the same behavior. As a
consequence, referees are
seeing more and more
outrageous behavior on
the floor from the play
ers, because they see their
parents doing it.
I was covering a game
recently and heard a par
ent yell a series of ob
scenities from the stands
that even made the'crowd
say “Ohhhh.” For the life
of me I can’t understand
how a parent can say
things like that, especial
ly when there were scores
of children in the stands
overhearing this tirade.
As a referee, some of
the things that have been
said to me have almost
made me lose my cool
a few times. From a ref
eree’s perspective, the
thing that infuriates me
the most is that parents
have no idea what many
of the rules of basketball
are. They don’t know
what a travel is, an actual
foul or even a backcourt.
Parents also have a fasci
nation with yelling “over
the back” when their child
gets out-jumped for a re
bound. I have a message
for you parents: there is
no such thing as an over-
the-back in the rulebook;
it does not exist, so please
See Madness on B6
Photos by Alphonso Abbott Jr.
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
Last week the Parkland Mustangs were crowned the Piedmont Triad
3A tournament champions. They accomplished the feat with a 54-52
win over Mt. Tabor. With this being their third victory over the Spartans
this season, the Mustangs look to use that momentum as they head into
the playoffs.
Raye scores 1,000th point in historic fashion
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
Following a stellar
freshman year, Marc Raye
Jr. had his eyes set on high
er goals for his sophomore
year. One of those goals
was to hit the 1,000-point
threshold before his sopho
more season ended and he
did just that.
Raye Jr. is the first
sophomore in Albemarle
High School and Stanly
County history to accom
plish that feat. The thought
of scoring 1,000 points
came to Raye as he was
having a conversation with
his father prior to the sea
son getting started.
“I just wanted to .make
history,” said Raye Jr. “He
(Marc Raye Sr.) told me
that no one has ever hit
1,000 points down there in
school and county history,
so that pushed me to.be
the best and just make his
tory. I just wanted to leave
my mark on Stanly County
and Albemarle.”
Raye Jr. reached his
goal on Senior Night for
Albemarle High, finish
ing the .game with 39
points. The school held
a brief ceremony where
Raye Jr. was presented
with a game ball and
plaque.
Raye Jr. got off to a
Submitted photo
Raye Jr. embraces his father after scoring his 1,000th point.
great start to begin the
season, knowing he need
ed to average nearly 26
points per game to reach
the mark. His father, Raye
Sr., who also happens to be
his coach, kept secret how
close Raye Jr. was until the
game before his record set
ting performance.
The nerves started to
set in the moment Raye
Jr. realized his goal was
within reach. On the night
of the 1,000-point game,
Raye Jr. says he was okay
all the way until the team
began putting on their uni
forms.
“I was just, like, this
could really happen to-
night, and I started getting
nervous,” he said. “Dur
ing warm-ups, I just began
sweating, because I saw
a lot of my family. I told
my grandmother the week
before that if she comes, I
will get it, so she came and
I had to hit it for her.” .
Raye Jr. came out on
a mission that evening,
scoring 8 points in the
first three minutes of the
game. Needing only 25
points to reach the mark,
Raye Jr. scored 22 points
in the first half. Less than
30 seconds into the second
half, Raye Jr. hit a three
that gave him his 1,000th
point.
“I couldn’t believe
it,” said Raye Jr. after ac
complishing the feat. “It
goes to show that you can
do anything you put your
mind to and don’t let any
one tell you what you can
and can’t do.”
The impact his family
has had on Raye Jr. has
been significant. He credits
them for much of his stel
lar play on the court.
“It’s a blessing to
be playing for your dad
and if it wasn’t for him, I
wouldn’t be where I am,”
• he said. “He’s the one that
told me to stay last year
and I made that decision to
stay and I can’t thank him
enough for that.”
The 2019-20 season
did not go that well for the
Bulldogs overall. For the
season, the team finished
with a 9-14 record and this
was the first time Raye Sr.
has not made the playoffs
in his coaching career.
Even with the down
season for the team, Raye
Sr. was overjoyed with the
efforts of his son and start
ing point guard. Raye Jr.
averaged 26 points, 6 re
bounds, 8 assists, 5 steals
and only 2 turnovers per
game this year. With two
See Raye on B6