To the editor:

I am the parent of a senior on the Lawrence High basketball team, and it is very important for me to make a statement about the game that occurred Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Lawrence High played Wyandotte High School. It quickly became a street-ball type of game. I have been watching my son play basketball games since he was in the first grade. And I have been so pleased whenever referees believed their job was to call the games within the rules of the game and thereby protect the players. That did not occur on Tuesday night. The game quickly eroded and the referees did nothing to change what was happening.

I was so angry to watch my son take two blows to the head and nothing happened. My son is now a patient at Lawrence Memorial Hospital taking high-powered drugs to reduce his pain. As a parent I want to say how grateful I am to have a coach who stands up for the safety of his players. When he sees things that are flagrant violations he takes a stand.

Coach Davis never left his area and never swore as he expressed his feelings, and I know that he would never swear at anyone in public. He always respects his players and I have never seen him belittle a player for anything!

The article in the paper had the headline telling about the coach receiving two technical fouls and being ejected from the game. That was not the headline for the story. The headline should have stated that “One Man Took a Stand.” The article told about the two technical fouls but never stated why they were given.

As a pastor who has moved his family several times, I can say that I have seen all kinds of coaches. With every ounce of my being I can say that I could never have dreamed up a better coach for my son to end his 12 years of playing basketball. Coach Davis teaches the fundamentals of basketball. He teaches his players the significance of integrity on and off the court.

If your child will someday play basketball at Lawrence High I can only tell you that you are the luckiest parents in the Sunflower League if Chris Davis is still the head coach. After what happened to him on Tuesday night I can now say that with more feeling than ever before. “Thanks, Chris, for trying so hard; and thanks for standing up for what was right!”

Jim C. Dunkin,

Lawrence