What's fair...?

I'm a true believer that sports provide kids a parrallel between competition and "adult" life.  I know there are certain people who say that, "it's just a game".  I respect that...I disagree, but I respect that.  In any sporting event, you can draw a parallel to real "adult" life in which they/you can translate into experience.

This brings me to Bishop Gorman.  Bishop Gorman, in laments terms, is a MONSTER when it comes to High School sports.  If you don't know who they are, feel free to look over their history here -----> (Bishop Gorman).

This past year, Gorman won the 2011 State Football Chip (slang for Championship)

Won the 2011 Boys State Hoops Chip

and won the 2012 State Baseball Chip too...

Now, is this "fair" to the other schools in Nevada?  What's fair?  Is fair a level playing field?  Is it everybody has an equal shot at winning?  This is where I have pros and cons...

Pros:
1. Life isn't fair.  Period.
2. It IS a school (regardless if they recruit or not).
3. Every day of your life provides a lesson.  So if you don't like losing, don't do it.

Cons:
1. Public Schools have to play with what they have.
2. Public Schools are at an automatic disadvantage.
3. Creates division instead of competition.

In short, without standing on my soapbox, schools in EVERY district should play with who lives in their district.  But in sports as in real life, this isn't the case.  Progressive thinkers do what they can to gain an advantage.  This leaves the Nevada public schools at a great disadvantage.  But as in "adult" life, you have to adapt to your environment and keep moving forward.  Life isn't fair guys, sometimes sports isn't either.  You can either cry and complain, or you can get back on your grind and get busy...



...

Hug Hawks 2011-12 Basketball

February 25, 2012

I'm just going to start writing, and then let my thoughts take over.  I normally sit back and think about what I'm going to write, format it and then go to town.  But tonight is going to be a little different.  I'm thinking about the Hug Hawk Varsity Hoops Squad and I can't help but draw parallels to "real" life and the definition of my company H.E.A.R.T Athletics LLC.

These young men just played for the State Championship and unfortunately lost to Bishop Gorman.  *Sidenote* Bishop recruits players, while Hug has to play with the kids that live in its school zone...moving on.  These kids played their H.E.A.R.T's out tonight.  And although they came up just a bit short, it was sheer determination that got them to where they were tonight.  Think about it.  How many other hoopers in the state of Nevada would trade places with them tonight?  Just having the CHANCE to win a State Title is an honor in itself!

The lesson here that the Hug Hawks probably didn't realize (yet...) is that shit isn't always going to go your way.  Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.  But never...EVER, take your loss as just a loss.  It's a learning experience.  The camaraderie, hard work and determination it took for them as a whole to get to where they were tonight will help them the rest of their lives.  Crappy things happen in life.  You as an individual AND team have to live, learn and adapt.  If you don't like losing...do something about it.

The Seniors won't have another chance...and that sucks, but the Junior and lower classes have a chance to learn and get better.  This doesn't mean the Seniors can't use this game as a spring board into their futures as well.

Sports, as in life, teaches us valuable lessons that if you're looking at the trees...you're sure to miss the forest.  The lesson here is DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!  Keep striving for your goals.  If you miss the first time, readjust and fire again.  You are only a loser when you choose to give up...not when you lose (<-------see what I did there?).

Even though the entire team played their H.E.A.R.T's out, I want to shine some light on 3 that really stood out (in my humble opinion).

Sam Williams

This young bol was a BEAST in the paint.  Blocking shots, grabbing boards and dunking on kats...

Andrew Johnson

This kid is devastating.  There was NO PG in Northern Nevada that could guard him...period.

Norris Dupree

This kid was the glue-man.  He did everything and anything for his team.  The bol hustled, played D, boarding, hit the floor, whatever...this kid played his ass off.



In short, BIG UPS to the 2011-12 Hug Hawks Varsity Squad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Most Slept on Kid in Reno (Norris Dupree #22)

I don't normally like to single out one kid on a team (because he/she plays on a TEAM), but I'll be damned if this young bol, Norris Dupree isn't one of the most slept on (slang term for 'overlooked') baller in the Reno area. 

I've watched this dude play over 3-4 games so far this season and he's dope...period.  You see, the funny thing about his game is that he COULD take over if he wanted to, but he's willing to do the dirty work AND share the rock.  I've seen this kid dive on the floor for loose balls, handle the rock to give Andrew Johnson a breather, rebound, play lockdown defense on opposing PG's and drive the lane like he enjoys getting hacked (another slang term, this means getting fouled...very hard).

I've never seen this kid sulk, complain or show a shitty attitude.  I've never seen him yell at a teammate, pass the buck or ignore his coach.  All this young man does is go out and play his H.E.A.R.T out.  Everytime I read the reno gazette-journal they NEVER mention this kid.  Don't get me wrong...he team does have two other studs on it, legit studs, but this dude deserves some sun too. 

So Norris...here's a little bit of sun for you fam!  I dig the way you play, best of luck to you and your Hawks in the tourney.

Follow @iplaywithheart

Manogue Miners vs. Hug Hawks (1st Round Nevada High School Tournament)

Februrary 15, 2012

This past Wednesday was the start of the Nevada High School Boys Varsity State Tournament.  As far as tournament go, we all know that no matter what your seed is, NOTHING is guaranteed.  The only guarantee is your seeding.  But the only thing your seeding can do for you is offer a home game.  It's ultimately up to the teams to duke it out and see who moves on to the next round.

During the last part of the Boys Basketball season I have watched several teams play and I have a little bit of working knowledge on who's who.  So when the 1st Round started, it only made sense to go watch the Hug Hawks (they're close, they're pretty good and my young bol Rian Narra plays for'm).  First I want to say that the Hawks are real...I mean, you have to bring your A++ game if you don't want to get run out the gym.

With that being said, Manogue played hard in the 1st quarter.  It actually looked like the game could go either way (I actually tweeted about it during the game).  Once the 2nd quarter started, that's when the depth and speed of the Hawks started to take its tole on the Miners.  But I have to give credit to the Miners for playing with a bunch of H.E.A.R.T.  I've watched about 3 or 4 games at Hug...and that is one rowdy ass crowd!  It's the high school equivalent of playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium.  You not only have the students to deal with...you have to deal with the parents as well!

Long story short (as short as I can make it...I tend to talk alot) both teams played hard, they hustled, they contested shots, drove the lane on the big men and dove on the floor for loose balls.  Hug ultimately came away with the "W" and is moving on to the next round while Manogue's season is over.  Below are just some of the pictures that spoke to me personally, embody the spirit of competition, and display the H.E.A.R.T that I love to see athlete's play with!

Hug Hawks vs Wooster Colts Boys Varsity Hoops

January 31, 2012

Last Tuesday I was debating on which game to go to shoot.  So I thought to myself, "self, you live 2 city blocks from Wooster...take your ass over there and see what they're about".  So I agreed with myself and went to Wooster.  As with any game I go to, I'm not really concerned with the final score, I'm looking for kids that Have Enough Attitude Resilience & Toughness (www.heartathleticsllc.com).  So basically, when I shoot a game, match or whatever, I'm looking for players that speak to my values and not so much who wins or loses.  Just because you won the game doesn't mean you gave your all and just because you lost the game doesn't necessarily mean you didn't (see what I did there?).

Long story short, Hug wound up beating Wooster by a sizable margin, but this doesn't mean that there wasn't a ton of H.E.A.R.T being poured out on the court.  You would think that a victory of such a large margin would have players on Wooster "giving up" and players for Hug just going through the motions...This was NOT the case.  There was a kid on Wooster who played the entire game (a starter at that) even though it was a blowout, #23 and a sub this year (but next year he'll most definitely start) for Hug, Rian Narra who played their respective asses off this game.

#23 Wooster

This #23 kid is a starter for Wooster.  Anyone who has played team sports knows that when the game is out of hand, the coach usually pulls his starters to get the backups more minutes.  If the coach doesn't do this, he's leaving some starters in so the game doesn't get out of control.  Most kids who are left in have a problem with this.  They feel as if they should be sitting too because it's embarrassing or the coach doesn't "respect" them enough to pull them out.  As I watched #23, I realized that this kid just wanted to play.  He played just as hard in the last minute as he did in the first quarter.  He didn't gunout (shoot without thinking of passing) his teammates, he continued to play hard D and most of all he hustled.  At no point in the game did I see this kid pout, throw a fit or act like a bitch.  This kid played his H.E.A.R.T out and it was dope watching him do so.

#1 Rian Narra

When people generally think about sports, they tend to think that if you don't start...you're not good.  Well this isn't always the case.  What if you play Varsity sports and you're a Sophomore?  This is the case when it comes to my young bol Rian Narra.  Yeah, Rian could play JV, get a ton of minutes, playing against competition his own age and dominate...or he can learn from a Senior PG, play against the best in the area, and get ready to crush next year.  He (as I would would) chose the latter.  As a Sophomore, Rian doesn't get that many minutes (because he's playing behind Andrew Johnson) but that doesn't mean he doesn't have skill or a big ol' H.E.A.R.T.  Rian came into the game for good in the middle of the 3rd quarter and did his thing.  Narra came into the game and played with the intensity of a starter (which he will be next year) and kept it up for the rest of the game.  He attacked the bucket, played his ass off on D (so much so that he was huffing and puffing, I even told him so on Twitter during the game).  By the end of the game, regardless of stats (which I figured to be 11 points, 3 boards, 4 assists...in less than 2 quarters), Rian played his ass off.

As I sat watching both of the players (#23 for Wooster and #1 for Hug, Rian Narra) and thought about how hard BOTH were playing at that time, I took this picture....

And this is what put my entire Hug vs. Wooster game in perspective, regardless of the score.

Hug High School JV Player #2

Last Saturday, January 21, 2012 I went to McQueen High School to watch Hug play McQueen.  I don't know a single player from either team, but I love High School sports, what they represent and Saturday's are the BEST days to watch amateur sports.  So I went...I blogged about the game earlier this week, but there was one player I didn't talk about (although I really wanted to).  I really didn't know how to fit him in the story until now...

I don't care what level of sports (or life) you're on, you want to be the starter (or the man/woman).  We all learn (eventually) that this isn't the case.  For some reason or whatever, you may "deserve" to start, but something (or someone) dictates that you have to take a lesser role.  This DOES NOT mean you are of "lesser" value, it just means that your true value may actually not be viewed in the proper light...this is life my friends.

Anyway, as I'm photographing this Hug/McQueen game, something "told" me to shoot this kid (#2) who was the first person to check into the game.  I had no idea of who he was, if he was any good, or what his situation was...but I took his picture non the less.

Little did I know that this kid was on some straight up Vinnie Johnson type ish!  This young bol (South Jersey slang for young guy...it's pronounced "bull") came into the game and started lighting kats up!

The thing is, this kid didn't only fill up the bucket, he played D, boarded and distributed dimes (a dime is an assist).  He did all of this without the "sense" or entitlement of STARTING.  If you took one look at this kid when he was entering the game you would have thought you were looking at a lion about to be unleashed!  The dude just had something about him that said "I don't give a f#ck that I'm not starting...I'm about to do WORK"...and he did.

The point of this blog post is that this kid "played" his H.E.A.R.T out and from the looks of his contributions, he could have cared less if he started or was the first/last guy off the bench! 

In sports and in life, not everyone is going to get the chance to sit in the sun...but when you do (if you indeed do get the chance) you have to take full advantage because you never know if you'll get another one (chance) or some more sun.  This Hug JV player got a little bit of sun from me and I feel fortunate enough to give him whatever sun I can because dammit...this kid deserves it.  He played his ass off AND he played his HEART out!


John H. Harris II
Owner
H.E.A.R.T Athletics LLC


------------------------------->FOLLOW ME<---------------------------------