Take the High Road

I suffer from the lack of skills needed to control my anger. Usually I try to suppress the things that irk me, and before I know it, simply seeing that someone left the toilet seat down blinked too many times turns me into some sort of jacka$$ and i unleash all of my fury that has been fermenting for the past X number of days at the nearest target. More often than not, it has been my family, and for this I am deeply sorry. I am taking positive strides these days, and things are (at least I think they are) getting better. No recent blow outs.
Occasionally, though, it can be perfect strangers who benefit from my fury. Now before you all go and call the local cops and such, I am not violent. But the words fly. Not so much like a sailor, but even if the volume is low, I get very.....direct. And cutting. I could probably make Mandela feel an inch tall. Ok, maybe not. But you get the picture, right?
Why am i telling you this? so that I can declare something here in "public". our middle guy, Z, is starting basketball again. After having spent 2 years on the school's "B" team, he finally made the "A" team, and we can't be happier for him. Going to the games and watching him play is a lot of fun. That kid gives 100% 95% of the time. Hey, he's in Middle School. I'm happy he gets out of bed before 8 on weekends. But I digress.
There is another kid who plays, and is a year behind Z in school. He gives his all most of the time, too. He isn't as skilled as Z, but he still gives it all he's got. Which is what counts, as far as I'm concerned. He made the "A" team, too. I don't think he should have, but it isn't my call. Here's why:
His father is a total A-hole. In all of the years that we have been watching this kid play, I have NEVER heard his father compliment him. N.E.V.E.R. poor kid has been out on the court crying b/c of this guy. The kid tries, and is never good enough for his father.
When I heard that the two kids were on the same team, my first thought was, "Great. Now I have to worry about not punching this guy in the head at each game." He really gets my blood boiling. But then I had a few moments of Zen, and came up with this strategy for dealing with said Jacka$$:
For every thing this kid does right, I am going to applaud it. When i see him giving his all, even if the effort didn't pan out, I'm gonna cheer for him. If his father scolds him, I'll find the positive in whatever he did and say it even louder.
I need to take the high road here, otherwise i'll get kicked out of the first game and won't be allowed back.
Are there times when your first instinct is to clobber someone but realized that you probably should take the high road instead?