Great match on Saturday night in Piedmont between the Warthogs and Piedmont International Touring Side (PITS Rugby). Perhaps some stereotypes were broken--they aren't rich snots and we aren't ghetto thugs. About 50 kids played a hard match, tackled each other, had bloody noses, made exciting bursts, released aggression, shook hands and then had burgers together. Coaches from the teams later joined for a couple beers and some food.
But in between the kids' meal and the adult libations a grim reminder called:
OAKLAND -- A 15-year-old boy fatally shot Saturday night in East Oakland and a 29-year-old man gunned down two hours later outside a West Oakland market were identified today as the city's latest homicide victims.
The 15-year-old was identified as Lovell Hadnot, of Oakland. He was fatally shot about 5:10 p.m. Saturday as he walked across a parking lot in the 5800 block of Bancroft Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they were told Hadnot was a student at Fremont High School.
As is our custom after a practice or match we always drive home any of our players who need a ride. I know about the murder above because the two players and I who were going home, after dropping off three other players, drove right next to the crime scene. The two boys live about mile from the crime scene.
Someone shot the boy while our kids were warming up and stretching. I dropped the two boys off and then went and met the other coaches. What was weird was that we just treated this as another Oakland landscape, call it "Yellow Crime Scene Tape at Night." I think the boys and I made a casual remark like "Oh, someone got shot."
A lot of similarities between our players and the victim, same age, same city, same school, same neighborhood. It's just that our program gives kids something positive to do so they hopefully don't meet the same fate.
Do we need any more reminders about why the City, Schools and community should support our program and ones like it?
