Now that’s teamwork.
A New Jersey Catholic Youth Organization basketball team of 5th grade boys and girls just made the play of the season ― and no score was necessary.
Told by the league director to remove the two girls from the team or forfeit the season, the St. John’s Chargers of Clark, New Jersey, voted unanimously before a game Friday to stand by their teammates, NJ.com reported.
The opposing team and officials departed the gym, leaving St. John’s to play an intrasquad scrimmage with many wearing #unitygames” T-shirts, For The Win noted.
Watching those hands go up in the vote after the kids were briefed on the consequences ― the cancellation of the game and no playoffs ― is one of the more touching moments you’ll see in sports at any level.
“These kids are doing the right thing,” team parent Denise Laskody said through tears.
According to NJ.com, the team had been coed for several years and was alerted two weeks ago that the presence of the girls would be an issue. Jim Goodness, spokesman for the archdiocese of Newark, told the outlet that rules “specifically state the teams should be boys or girls only.” But parents said there simply wasn’t enough interest from girls to form their own team.
No matter the rules, one player in the clip could not envision advancing to the postseason without all his teammates. “It’s not fair that we get to move on and they can’t,” he said.
h/t For The Win
