Myles Copeland of the ‘The Basketball League’ saved a referee’s life during a game
What could have been a tragedy was quickly converted into a cause for celebration, because of the quick thinking of a young man who has his heart in the right place.
There are moments that are bigger than sport and one occurred recently in a The Basketball League (TBL) game when a referee collapsed on the court. What happened after is the kind of thing that inspires.
Toledo Glass City’s Myles Copeland saved a referee’s life
It was just a few days ago on June 11th when the Toledo Glass City team was taking on the Jamestown Jackles in a TBL playoff game and referee John Sculli was in the mix as the referee for the night. With the teams going at it and a decent crowd on hand to take in the action, everything was set for what would have otherwise been a goodnight at a game. Yet that was not what happened, as midway through the game Sculli began to move unsteadily before collapsing on court. Those who were close to him tried to get a response but there was none to be had and so everyone present nervously looked on while trying to get a hold on the severity of the situation.
Everyone except Myles Copeland that is. A firefighter by day, Copeland immediately sprang into action having recognized the signs of heart failure and began to administer CPR. Indeed, that’s what he continued to do until paramedics arrived which without doubt was the difference between life and death. “It was kind of instinctual. It surprised me how quick I was able to switch into that mode, especially being in a basketball game,” Copeland said. “But with being a firefighter, when you’re off the job, you’re really not off the job. You still got to keep an eye out for the community and what’s going on around you.” Incidentally, it was later reported that Sculli was actually scheduled set to have heart surgery next week. He is expected to make a full recovery such that he will be refereeing once again in the new season.
Myles Copeland has a message for everyone
As you can imagine, it’s not everyday that that one gets the opportunity to save a life, but if you ask Myles Copeland, you should always be ready to do just that should the moment occur in front of you. The firefighting baller encouraged wider society to be prepared with a message on his new twitter account. “More people need to learn CPR! Heart disease is the #1 leading cause of death. And an event like this could happen anywhere, to anyone, at anytime,” he wrote on his new Twitter account. “Step up your game and get CPR certified. You could be a hero for someone too.” Well done Myles!
Hang on, whats the TBL?
Founded just a few years ago in 2017, The Basketball League was spearheaded by former commissioner of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC), Dave Magley. Having initially started out with eight teams, the league has since grown to 16. As a professional league, the TBL has teams based throughout the United States and Western Canada and has largely been built on the backs of teams in the defunct Continental Basketball Association, the Premier Basketball League, and even defunct NBA teams.
The central idea behind the league is actually much more community based than your usual professional sports league with the main purpose being to provide opportunities for community involvement particularly schools from the elementary to high school levels. Among the various programs that the league has implemented, there are reading sessions where players read to younger children, basketball camps for teens, and school visits where players speak to students about the importance of avoiding substance abuse and staying in school.