No Fear ain't scared

A local boy’s basketball 14U team finished a grueling three-day tournament in Houston this past weekend by going undefeated and bringing the championship trophy back to Brazoria County.

The Brazoria Ballers-No Fear team is made up of players in seventh, eighth and ninth-grade from Freeport, Lake Jackson and Angleton. They won the H-town Classic Platinum Division with wins over some of the top teams from across the state.

“This is one of the most prestigious basketball tournaments in the country, and it speaks volumes about our kids because a team from our area has never won this tournament,” said head coach Robert Griggs. “It’s a live event, which means college coaches flock to the gym to watch the older divisions. The platinum division is for the teams that went undefeated in pool play, so we played the cream of the crop to win the event.”

No Fear was led by Chris Rossow, a 5’7 point guard from Freeport as well as post players Hunter Quick (6’5 from Lake Jackson), Kevin Davis (6’1 from Angleton) and wing Angel Trevino (5’11 from Freeport). Rossow averaged 18.4 points per game to go with 3.6 assists, while both Davis (10.8 ppg., 7.4 reb.) and Quick (8.6 ppg., 7 reb.) dominated down low. Defensive stopper Trevino went for 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3 steals per contest.

“I think as a whole, we played well, but the point guard position with Rossow was unbelievable,” Griggs said. “I think he was one of the top three players in our age division. Davis and Quick teamed up to be a two-headed monster holding down the middle. Angel is an awesome ninth-grader who plays with us when the tournaments allow a grade exception, meaning you can play with one player who is a grade older.”

Other team members who contributed in the tournament include: Lake Jackson’s Cole Armstrong, Trey Burnett, Ty Griggs and Sa’vion Myles as well as Angleton’s BJ Foster. No Fear will play in a couple more tournaments in Houston before hitting the road for games in New Orleans and Las Vegas.

The No Fear program was started by Griggs in 2005 and its alumni from the area include DJ Griggs (Long Island University), Quandre Diggs (University of Texas), Shai Fields (Weber State) and Ed’Marques Batties (Middle Tennesse State).

I first heard of “Generation Me” a year or so ago and was quick to agree that this generation of high school kids, college students, and 20-somethings fit that bill to a “T”. Kids these days are different than we were. They are self-centered and narcissistic.

But it wasn’t until I really started people watching and noticing others in my surroundings that I realized I was “hating” on youngsters and wrongly singling them out. There is an epidemic sweeping over us. Everywhere you go people only think of themselves. We have become a country of inconsiderate people.

Several months ago a woman in her mid-20s was talking on her cell phone at the counter of the Lake Jackson post office. She asked for an $800 money order, but when the clerk presented it to her she told him she asked for an $80 money order. He told her that if she would get off her phone he could help her better, but she began to berate him and insisted she was right. I heard the lady say “$800” but I stayed out of it. A few weeks later signs were installed at the counter telling people they wouldn’t be helped if they were talking on the phone. How about those annoying people at a restaurant sitting next to you on their phone talking loudly, thinking their conversation is more important than your trying to have a nice meal? People talking on a cell phone in public has become my biggest pet peeve. I guess it’s is called an “I”phone for a reason.

Parents dropping children off in the mornings create road rage everyday. There are those inconsiderate drivers who pull up just short of the front door so that their child won’t have to walk an extra 10 steps. If they pulled up far enough in the school driveway, a few extra vehicles could slide in to drop their child off and the line wouldn’t be 10 minutes long. Years ago, Rasco Middle School even had a teacher stationed in the driveway to wave cars up. There are also parents who stop on Lake Road in front of Rasco to drop off their children right in front of the signs that read “No loading or unloading”. Hey, it’s all about me and my situation.

The ultimate “me, me, me scenario” happens once a year. It’s called Black Friday and that’s when the term self-centered reaches its highest point. I read where people who are narcissistic tend to be more aggressive and less likely to help others. Bingo! Black Friday at Wal-Mart. Years ago, I witnessed a lady shove another lady over a box of trampolines during a Black Friday event. That was my last foray in the Black Friday freakshow.

“Narcissism” has become the go-to diagnosis by columnists, bloggers, and television psychologists. But let’s just get back to the days when we cared what others thought and tried to be conscientious of those around us.

Russell Burnett Jr. is an insurance agent at Best Insurance Services, Inc., and a resident of Lake Jackson, Texas. www.bestinsurancetx.com