12-Year-Old Brandon’s Journal — Entry 22 — 12/11/1992

Dear Journal,

Last night my "B" basketball team suffered their first loss. I only played two minutes. My dad told me to talk to Mr. Spooner and ask if I can get more playing time. After that game I went home to eat and then had to go to Golden Ball practice. I like this team because there is only eight players on the team, so we get more playing time. We scrimmaged against a different team and they had one kid who kept pushing. The first I was on the a fast break and he bumped me with his body. Then he tried to trip Scott Rhoten and I was standing next to my coach and he said that if that kid tries to trip or push again he is going to stop the game and have a talk with him because someone was going to get hurt. The last the kid tripped Keith Miller. My coach didn't have to do anything because the kid's coach sent the kid out. Other than that kid, everything was fine. We ran drills and practiced plays.

Oh man, I remember that little s***head! That league we played in that year and the following was brutal. Lots of pushing and shoving. It got to the point I even got sucker punched by a kid almost a foot taller than me. I can't remember if that happened this year while I was doing this journal or the next, but we'll find out.