There is no right or wrong answer on this. Keep it civil. I think I know how the vote will go but I won't predict in advance.

 I should have prefaced the obvious but just in case you have already lost out on finishing 1st or second. The only thing left is 3rd or 4th

If anyone thinks of another choice I will add it.

Thanks

FFi - AKA Matt Crum

I honestly don't understand this poll, but since there is not wrong answer I voted for "play for the win"!

I love how seven of us have voted so far, and not a single one of us understood what we were voting for. ;D

Illini,

How about clarifying your intent so we can understand your query?

Thanks.  

Illini,

How about clarifying your intent so we can understand your query?

Thanks.

Come on, Sam, it's more fun this way! ;D  And, you know you already voted.

 Ok I'll try again

Pretend you got beat in the semifinal so you don't get to play for 1st or 2nd for the state tittle.

Thus your last game is to see who gets 4th and who gets 3rd.

The question is do you play to win 3rd at all costs?

or do you reward your bench for all of their hard work and get them some playing time for the memory of a lifetime playing in the state tny?

Sorry for the confusion hope this helps

Is it clearer now?

It's very clear now.

What sport are we talking about? :-? ;D

Oh, and regardless of the sport, I'd play to win.

I get it.

If you play for third you get to play the #2 team.

If you play for fourth place, you get to play the #1 team.

Right?

I was taught to play hard until the buzzer goes off and then see who won the game.

As long as you do your best, not slack off, and know in your heart that you performed as best you could, it does not matter.

At your 20-year reunion you can reminisce with the others on your team about the season and how you did.  

P.S.  Play everyone.

This must be a middle school team, by the use of grammar, spelling and sentence construction, so it really does not matter.

Let everyone play.

Just do your best and cheer on the bench warmers. They are an integral part of your team and if your coach is a winner he will let them play.  

Play to win--The scoreboard is there to count points NOT memories. The bench warmers can learn to get better if they want to play & try to reach the playoffs next year. That's called "incentive"--If you hand it to them, they now have a memory that they did not earn.

That's a dumb way to run the state tournament. In Virginia, if you lose a game, you don't play anymore. There isn't a 3rd or 4th, only a champion and runner up.

That's a dumb way to run the state tournament. In Virginia, if you lose a game, you don't play anymore. There isn't a 3rd or 4th, only a champion and runner up.

Why is it "dumb" to give the kids one more game to play?

Chances are they have travelled pretty far to get where they are and a consolation game is pretty common practice. Trophies are awarded for top four finishes.

Matt's a central Illinois boy, home of the Original March Madness, so I know he's talking HS basketball.

"Everybody Plays" is a grammer school mentality. Playing time is earned, not an entitlement. 2 teams get a chance to end the season with a win. 1st place and 3rd place, so you play for the win. No apologies, no excuses.

For a basketball team to be great, everybody has to accept their role, for some that means pushing the starters hard in practice then riding the pine during the game. If you do your job, you can always look back on that third place medal with pride, whether your name is in the scorebook or not.

In illinois they do in fact play a 3rd/4th place game ( on tv) and reward trophies to the top 4 places.

Recently the coach from the girls 2A? played all of his players thoughout the entire game ( and a bunch ea ).

My hats off to him. Those kids who may have spent as much as 10years preparing for this will remember the experience for the rest of their lives.

Who won 3rd vs 4th will be remembered probably for about 1hr after the game.

Don't forget these bench players are the ones who showed up for practise evey day and helped the main players be as good as they were.

The class and the balls it took for this coach to do this will be remembered by those kids forever. In a small way it will help mold these kids in being who they will become.

      I'd be honored to have had my kid  play for him.

I knew in advance that the overwhelming majority would vote "the win at all costs".

[quote

The class and the balls it took for this coach to do this will be remembered by those kids forever. In a small way it will help mold these kids in being who they will become.  

PLAY FOR THE WIN! Most likely everyone sitting down will be around next year.