Comments on: Boy Beats Cancer, Gets Cut From Basketball Team

By: TimS.

TimS. — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:47:05 +0000

Conor passed away in August of 2011 after a long battel with leukemia. Conor was a true fighter and never let the cancer get the best of him . We could not be more proud of our son who inspired so many people at such a young age.

After the first KARE11 story there was a follow up to talk about his new team at the Mendota Heights Traveling Association. The league cooordinator saw the first storyy and called us to offer Conor a spot on their team. She is an amazing person who saw a chance to do something really special not only for Conor, but also the players and coaches in Mendota Heights. He had a fun year with his new team and met some great kids and parents.

The second part of the follow up centered around the President of EAA at the time. After the story he was quite miffed at what happened and reached out to us. That too was a great experience and we are confident that a resutl of what happened to Conor another kid will get a chance down the road that wouldn’t have. Once folks know the entire story, including information from conversations PRIOR to tryouts that led me to believe that Conor would get to play, they start to understand why we answered the call when KARE11 called us.

.This was never about just playing basketball, if so we would have been fine with school ball, this waas about TRAVELLING basketball and Conor being just like his friends who were all playing. He deserved that chance.

Kare11 also did a follow up when Conor passed away and they interviewed some of his former team mates from Mendota Heights. They talked about how Conor inspired them and how hard he worked even though he was battling this dreadful disease. That was awesome! We are so proud of Conor! Thanks!

By: therealist

therealist — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:28:48 +0000

This is traveling youth sports - if you can’t tryout, you take what you know (which was last years evaluation) and you make a decision. Everyone who trys out (or can’t) understands this. He is not banished from playing basketball - he has in-house and middle school basketball, he will be able to play, and tryout again next year if he chooses to participate in traveling basketball. So much information is missing from this story - Boyd Huppert should be ashamed for not telling the whole story. This young man should be applauded for beating cancer - but he should not take someone’s spot on a traveling team that DID try out because he was ill. He can still play, and still participate in the joys of basketball - just not traveling.

By: ProSqueeze

ProSqueeze — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:14:30 +0000

We’re talking “KIDS SPORTS” here people. This in not the NBA or college level! I’m so tired of this mentality in youth sports. All kids should have the opportunity to play! He’s 11! You do realize if sports were as competive 20-30 years ago- kids being cut and not having the opportunity to improve skills, many of the professional greats would have never made it.
The adults that are responsible for this should be ashamed!

My children play for EAA, we have volunteered to coach and we have been disappointed numerous times b/c of the “politics” of it all. Not necessarily directed at our kids- but we have had to watch it happen.

By: ....

.... — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:34:05 +0000

I’m not for letting the kid have a totally free pass, even though since he made it last year most likely he could make it again. Though, I kind of feel like they should have let the kid try out a little later. But really this kid had casts on his legs for 3 weeks, does anyone think he could actually play?

By: weege

weege — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:51:49 +0000

i dont have a problem with him not on the team. no tryouts/no team. easy enough.

By: RightWingNate

RightWingNate — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:39:09 +0000

I agree with the previous comments. Let the kid try out and make the team. Why Yale University would not allow an idiot with a low IQ and 800s in his SATs into their Ivy League University, would it? Oh wait, bad example. Well we would not elect a President who’s an idiot who attended Yale and could barely read, would we? Oh wait, we did. I mean this is a country where you must work hard to achieve something, like that Paris Hilton person. She built a hotel empire with her own little hands. Nothing is given to you in this great country. Make the kid work for it, like George and Paris had to work for it…..Amen….

By: LivinStrong

LivinStrong — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:12:36 +0000

Perhaps the Lance Armstrong foundation, LiveStrong, would be interested in this story. Young cancer patient works his butt off for two years to make it back to his “C” level b-ball team, only to be told “we don’t need ya” Yea, that would be heart warming. Geez, what a bunch of morons. Its just sports, people. Get over it and let the kid play for criss sakes……………………………………………….

By: SLEZE

SLEZE — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:36:36 +0000

Umm…He missed the tryout. How can they evaluate his current ability if he MISSED the tryout? Tryout next year, kid.

Too many whiners.

By: Blazing Saddles

Blazing Saddles — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:30:08 +0000

what is with the kid stories, first albino kid now this? there is no mention how the kid plays, maybe he is not good enough for the team, let him try next year.

By: reality

reality — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:04:12 +0000

How much are you wanting to pamper the kid. Life is tough and he has been dealt a very crappy hand. Still, nothing is free. He has to tryout just like every other kid and the best kids play on the team. get over it. That’s the way it is.
Try putting a SPED on a debate team. …doesn’t work.