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School has been hard for a lot of students in 

New Spring Middle School, but not for Matt and 

Phillip.   They are one of the most popular 

students in school because they both play 

basketball on the Varsity team.   Matt and Phillip 

are also friends who get along most of the time 

but during basketball season they fight almost 

everyday.   The fighting has gotten so bad until 

both of the boys parents have threatened to 

take them off of the basketball team if they 

don't start to get along.

It's Thursday afternoon in English class Matt 

says to his classmate Doug,"I can't wait until 

the big game next period in P.E. It is going to 

be a knock down, drag out, battle to victory 

against those scrubs."   Phillip over hears Matt 

and adds his comment, "I am so ready for the 

game next period.   I've been working on my 

outside jump shot all weekend, so I don't know 

who you are calling a scrub."

The school bell rings and the students proceed 

to their next period class.   While in the 

hallway, Matt and Phillip see each other in the 

hallway and give each other a deadly stare.  

Matt approaches Phillip and says, "Are you 

ready to lose today, scrub?"   Phillip turns to 

Matt and replies back, "Lose to you? Ah ah 

good joke."   They both enter the gym and take 

a seat in the stands awaiting the Coach arrival.  

Attendance is taken as the boys wait eagerly 

to be allowed to begin their basketball game.  

Matt and Phillip are selected to be captains and 

they each select the players on their team. The 

game begins and Matt and Phillip are pushing 

and shoving each other throughout the first 

half of the game.   Then it finally happens, Matt 

fouls Phillip.   Phillip gets mad and says, "Just 

because I am better than you, you don't have 

to foul me."   Matt replies back, "That wasn't a 

foul, you are just soft and my defense is too 

much for you to handle."

Matt and Phillip get into each others face, 

ready to fight and they are pulled apart by 

Coach Larry.   The coach says to them "Resolve 

this now or you guys will not play ball for the 

rest of the week!"   Matt and Phillip give each 

other a half apologetic nod and resume playing 

the game.   Not long after the game begins, 

Matt and Phillip get into another scruffle but 

this time they are taken out of the gym by 

Coach Larry and placed in different rooms.

Coach Larry decides the boys need a good sit- 

down because things have gotten out of hand.  

He has noticed how they don't get along during 

the Varsity team basketball games and their 

actions have sparked tension between team-

members who have picked sides.   Coach Larry 

speaks to both boys and realize that their 

problem is that they don't know how to resolve 

conflict but one way, fighting.

Coach Larry decides to give Matt and Phillip 

some techniques they can use to resolve the 

conflict they have with one another.   The three 

techniques he gives them are: 

1. Communicate one's feelings without 

accusing the other by either face to face or in 

writing.

2. Being willing to compromise for the benefit 

of all.

3. Walking away if all else fails.

Coach Larry leave Matt and Phillip alone to 

think about what they've talked about.

Later, Coach goes back to both of the boys and 

says tomorrow they will resolve their issue or 

detention for both of them.   He tells the boys 

to pick a technique for them to use tomorrow 

to resolve the issue between one another and 

to   work on it for tonight's homework 

assignment. Matt decides he would 

communicate his feelings to Phillip in a short 

letter and Phillip decides he would compromise 

for the benefit of all.   Both guys knew that 

they couldn't walk away because the issue 

would never get resolved and the fighting 

would continue and even escalate. 

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