[Harry Rex Vonner]

You speak of a "nanny state" and kids tht can't compete "get a tuba and play in the band". But then you also mention "kids that work hard in practice deserve a chance..." Which is it? You going to teach kids a life lesson about competition and getting better or quitting? Or are you on the side of "if you work hard you deserve a chance to play"? Can't have it both ways.

Although the message of my post was quite clear, apparently you failed to comprehend it. I am saying that those who make up the second and third teams should not be punished by shortening their opportunity to play and score. They practice just as do the starters. Usually many of them don't play at all in most games. In a blowout, they will get a chance. They should have it.

You want to cut down the opportunity for the little used bench warmers on the winning team in order to "protect" the self esteem of the losing players. Surely, you don't believe that the running clock protects the losing team from humiliation?

Maybe the players on the losing team should learn that their future is obviously not in basketball. Maybe, it is in the band, or the chorus, or in computer science. I would suggest that it is about time we taught a few real world facts and a little less of this silly self esteem insulation.