100 – 0: Score One for Responsibility?
When a Texas basketball collided with this American aphorism—It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game—there was an explosion of conflicting opinions about the true meaning of victory and doing the right thing.
The score heard ‘round the world—100 to 0—came to light in January, with the infamous mismatch of two girls’ high school basketball teams in Dallas. The Covenant School—Christian and private—pummeled Dallas Academy, small and private and catering to students with dyslexia, “concentration” problems, and “learning differences.”
The Academy girls haven’t won a game for more than four years, but Covenant’s unrelenting steal-and-layup punishment offered its own lessons.
“My girls never quit,” the Academy’s proud coach told a local newspaper reporter. “They played as hard as they could to the end.”
His words were a layup to readers’ hearts. Soon another aphorism—Everyone loves a winner—was being turned upside down.
In a rapid cascade of events, Covenant’s headmaster posted an unprecedented apology on the school’s website, calling his team’s winning performance “shameful” and “a victory without honor” which “does not reflect a Christ-like” approach to competition. Announcing it was forfeiting the game, Covenant praised losing Dallas Academy for their “strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner.”
Covenant’s coach disagreed with the headmaster’s mea culpa. “We played the game as it was meant to be played,” he wrote to a newspaper, and refused “to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.” Hours later he was fired.
“Our national ethics lesson,” one reporter dubbed the incident which left many divided over who did or didn’t do the right thing. Dallas Academy knew the rules going in, some said, and if it couldn’t stand the heat, it shouldn’t have played the game. Others lamented the loss of sportsmanship. Some felt that the school’s apology and the coach’s firing were unnecessary, while others said winning doesn’t matter and the schools shouldn’t have kept score.
Tell us what you think: Who bears what responsibility in this case—the Covenant coach, the Covenant team, the Dallas Academy team? Who won, who lost? Is it really true that winning doesn’t matter?
For information about creating positive sports experiences for kids, log on to ResponsibleSports.com. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual, the site offers parents and coaches tips, tools, and advice designed to help maximize their kids’ youth sports experience. Parents can also take part in online discussions, asking questions and sharing experiences about how best to help kids apply the life lessons of sports—on and off the field. Because, as The Home Run reminds us, there’s more to the game than winning.
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wow
i think that is awsome
dustin tailor alfrey | 2 months, 3 weeks ago
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Girls basketball
I am a first year coach of a teenage girls recreational basketball team in a church league. In our game this week, we were outmatched by a talented team of 5 girls, no substitutes. At halftime, the score was about 25 – 0. In the second half, the other coach had the girls virtually stop playing defense, and we still had trouble scoring points. The final score was about 40-25, but could have been 100-0. I was a bit embarrassed that he had his team nearly stop playing, and tried to get his attention to ask that they keep playing a little harder, but I can appreciate the spirit of sportsmanship or charity. It is my responsibility to help teach my players to play to the best of their abilities and leave the results to God. My aim is for them to have fun, learn something about the sport, develop friendships as teammates, and show good sportsmanship. It is important to lose gracefully as it is to win gracefully.
Howard Juneau | 2 months, 3 weeks ago
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Boys Varsity Basketball Coach
My question is: who scheduled the game? If it was a state playoff game then the victor should have pulled back the intensity and held the score down for the good of the game of basketball. If the losing team scheduled the game, they obviously did not consider the possible outcome and have no one to blame. At times we criticize blow-outs (though not of this proportion) with a critical eye because we do not know the circumstances. Yet, removing the victorious coach appears to be the correct move after listening to his egocentric comments.
Timothy B. Lindloff | 2 months, 3 weeks ago
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Sportzman
WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!! As we view the details of this and other situation like this one there is only one finger I feeel the need to point. This finger goes to the atheletic commissions that dont deem it neccessary to have a mercy rule at all levels of unprofessional sports.. Trust me we wil be here again.
Stacey Gantt | 2 months ago
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Retired
It is the responsibility of the coach to teach sportmanship. From both sides of
the ball. The Covenant coach knew in the first 2 minutes of the game where
this game was headed. He probably knew before the game started what the
outcome would be. Sportswmanship is also not making your opponent look
so terrible. It did his team and he himself, as it turns out, no good to do this.
Yes, I truely believe that sporting events should be played to win. But not at
the embarassment of your opponent. A big shame on Covenant High School.
Allowing zero points shows a beligerance and distain of your opponent.
Patrick
Patrick Moreau | 2 months ago
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true meaning of mercy
mercy means there was an unavoidable playing field. Holding down the score has nothing to do with true mercy. The LOSING team can always choose to forfeit the game. Running up the score is not poor sportsmanship.
Walker Hayes | 1 month, 4 weeks ago
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Wins and Losses
This is not about 100-0. It’s about respect and sportsmanship. Every weekend in college sports we see superior football and basketball teams dominating their inferior. The coach had an opportunity to teach a life lesson to his team and ignored it. Whether he beat them by 100 or he beat then by 15 it doesn’t matter. What matters is what he teaches them in developing their character. That’s what they will take away when they leave the game.
Danny Tidwell | 1 month, 4 weeks ago
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At Fault : Coach, School or Opponent in 100-0 Game
All are at fault. The opponent should put a reasonably competitive team on the floor or not be in the league, especially high school. Presuming this is not the first year of competition for the winner, they should have had a policy in place. If they want a clear response in athletics events, they should have a clear policy for these eventualities. The administrator should be looking in the mirror, not pointing fingers. The coach is at fault if he pressed for the entire game. You may press during the first half, but if you have a clearly insurmountable lead in the second half, it is a humiliation of the opponent to continue pressing. No coach should do that. I have coached both Christian and public high school softball.
Marvin Ray Bishop | 1 month, 4 weeks ago
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Pity is not Sportsmanship
I agree with those who ask “who scheduled the game in the first place?”.
And no the coach should not have been fired. A private conversation between the coach and headmaster, yes, forfeiture no.
Kudos to the school who didn’t win, but played their best. You may have been outplayed by a better team, but you are not “losers”.
In my coaching and my colleagues coaching seasons, I expect the best from all of my players, whether they are winning or not. If one of our players were not playing their best ability, they would be benched for being lazy, not reprimanded for giving it their all.
Ellen F | 1 month, 4 weeks ago
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None
Coaches and players on both sides have the responsibility to play the game. In my humble opinion the scheduler is responsible for that score. The beaten team should be playing a lower level team, even from that same school. Who’s to say the backups weren’t in? On the other hand though, it was a great opportunity for some good passing drills and walk-up ball. Is there a shot clock in texas high school women’s b-ball? And I do think they shouldve allowed a layup or fouled intentionally to give up a free throw or something. The biggest thing lost here is not the spread, it’s that a basket was not allowed by a team that could’ve sparred one.
Josh Davis | 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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