This is our readership...*sigh*

[spikechiquet]

Sent in this week...guess the "8th Place" ribbon makers like this stuff or "Participation" trophy makers...

Because there is nothing between playing on a team and doing drugs. Don't kids have video games to fall back on lady?

****
To the Editor:
It’s another year of spring sports season with all the extra expense that come with that such as extra gas to and from the school for practice and games.
I have no problem with that what so ever especially in today’s society where alcohol and drugs seem to be at our kid’s fingertips.
I feel if you try to keep them active in something positive that they enjoy and can focus on, it will help keep them steered in the right direction, hopefully.
What is aggravating is game after game to go watch them sit on the bench when they have put as much time into it as everyone else on the team. No one is so good they shouldn’t sit on the bench.
No wonder today’s society is in such a mess. I feel there is no reason every kid that goes out for a sport should get to play an equal amount of time.
My definition of winning is not on the scoreboard but that you have kept kids interested in something so they do not head down the wrong path.
I now see how kids easily give up on trying something when they just get benched. They end up with too much spare time, which can be a negative thing. I do not see any of our county schools producing professional athletes, they may have missed a few that were on the bench. You cannot improve on things if you do not play.
About 70% of my property tax dollars go to the school. We have taken that money and built a lot of things built around sports programs such as a field house, a soccer field, baseball diamonds and a locker room building. It would be nice if I only had to pay tax for what my kid used that would just be a very small section of the bench in the dugout. This is great as long as every kid gets an equal opportunity.
I don’t think there should be cuts in sports, what happened to everyone gets to play, they are kids. I do not know anyone getting taxed in this county that their career is a professional athlete. I do not know who the “Star Athletes” were twenty years ago in high school. Society has created some unethical standards for our youth over the years and we now are paying for it. They say “Get kids involved” which drives them to keep they’re grades up to participate in that activity. This is valuable lesson and will provide them many opportunities in life however then they park them on the bench to kick them down.
I understand when you commit to coaching that you obligate a lot of free time but no one makes anyone take that position. When you do, it should be for the right reasons. Positive role model and boost the kids self esteem, which will help make them productive citizens in the future. They can’t get that sitting on the bench over and over.
Life is so short and times are so tough for our kids to stay on the right path, I would think when they have kids trying to be involved in something, the athletic department would do everything in their power to keep them involved. These kids are “Our Future,” and when you watch the news it seems there are more slipping through the cracks than into a professional athletic career.
Proud Parent of my child for not giving up

 

[Fredrick]

Parents bitching about their kids sitting on the bench is so degrading to humanity.
Back in the day, when I was a kid, we knew who the best players were and nobody bitched about playing time. The coach/managers aren't dumb. They play the best players. Eventually you either earned P.T. or continued to sit on the bench. And back then parents didn't go to the ****ing games. What a great time we had. Practices were fun as well MINUS parents.

 

[spikechiquet]

But PT doesn't matter..."no one" remembers the high school stars in 20 years.

Yup, I'm sure no one remembers a high school aged Mikey Jordan or that good kid with a fast ball named Clemens. I heard Texas might sign him.

Let's not keep score...heck, let's not report the scores in the paper. Heck, let's get rid of the sports section since if my kid can't be in it...there's no reason for it to be there.

Ooops, sorry, that might happen someday. I should shut up now.

 

[CA_journo]

So having "everybody play" now will just set them up for failure later in life. What are these parents going to say when their kid eventually figures out that not everyone gets to be an astronaut or all-star baseball player later in life? Will they write letters to CEOs saying that their kids applied just as hard as the people that got the jobs?

 

[spikechiquet]

Honestly, I would love to write a column off this letter.
Other than the pat on the back from my co-workers and especially my boss, it would be suicide to try to show up to a game the rest of the year. It's got my brain working on a "nice" way to relay my thoughts from pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as it is).

 

[buckweaver]

Will they write letters to CEOs saying that their kids applied just as hard as the people that got the jobs?

Sadly, this is not far from the truth. When parents are writing college professors and coaches with this type of **** -- for their adult-age children, my god -- and believe me, it's happening ... :

Parents, let your kids GROW THE **** UP. Prepare them for life, not protect them from it. I know that goes against your instinct sometimes, but you have to do it, for their sake, if not your own. You might think you're being loving, but you're only being selfish by not allowing them to live their own lives.

 

[Tom Petty]

all those little bastards are winners in my book.

 

[I Digress]

This sentence is gold.. I'd like to see it inscribed in every 'player participation' trophy awarded nationwide.

"These kids are “Our Future,” and when you watch the news it seems there are more slipping through the cracks than into a professional athletic career."

 

[Michael_ Gee]

You know, I rode the pine in at least one high school sport. I wanted to play, and eventually got to in a somewhat-valued substitute role, but I didn't consider benchwarming to be humilating or soul-damaging, and neither did my parents. It just was what was.
To me, this kind of rant indicates a loving, caring parent who completely underestimates their children.

 

[JakeandElwood]

Unbelievable.

 

[21]

Putting aside the naive content of the letter, this was written by someone who clearly still values the existence of the newspaper, enough to use it as a forum for communication and opinion.

At a time when 'readership' is fast becoming a mythic creature, it's not the worst thing that someone would still think to turn to the local paper as a means to connecting with the community.

 

[slappy4428]

Proud parent was the icing on the cake...

 

[JackReacher]

Everyone gets ice cream!!!!!

Yay!!!!!!

 

[User 1019]

Putting aside the naive content of the letter, this was written by someone who clearly still values the existence of the newspaper, enough to use it as a forum for communication and opinion.

At a time when 'readership' is fast becoming a mythic creature, it's not the worst thing that someone would still think to turn to the local paper as a means to connecting with the community.

It was also written by someone who has, apparently, forgotten all those grammar lessons they learned while in school.

I'm certainly far from perfect, but I absolutely hate poor grammar.

 

[spikechiquet]

My buddy suggested this as a response:

Dear Proud Parent:

Thank you for your concern. We have decided to implement your idea and allow everyone to play the same amount of time for every game. We agree that children should learn that their lack of talent and hard work should be rewarded just as equally as their friend who puts more time into practicing and getting better. We also feel that it would be a good learning experience for your son to be on the field during an important part of the game. And when your son strikes out, or makes a costly error that ends the season, we hope that embarrassment justifies your property taxes, or travel, and costs for watching him play. And when people remember him for ending their playing careers because he was on the field when he shouldn't have been, we hope it was all worth it. Thanks for your support of our athletic programs.

 

[spikechiquet]

Putting aside the naive content of the letter, this was written by someone who clearly still values the existence of the newspaper, enough to use it as a forum for communication and opinion.

At a time when 'readership' is fast becoming a mythic creature, it's not the worst thing that someone would still think to turn to the local paper as a means to connecting with the community.

You have a point.

Still, she is an asshat.

 

[WaylonJennings]

I played baseball in high school, and was a career backup. My only reaction to that? "If you get better, you'll play." I played with those guys since we were like 7 years old. We knew who the best players were. The hierarchy established itself pretty early.

I was still invested completely, and when we lost in the state tournament, I cried on the way home on the bus just like everyone else. I didn't think, "If only I'd been out there ..."

 

[RickStain]

The person has a different idea of how the educational value of sports can be realized than I do.

I'm not going to get hysterical and call her stupid for it.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

I think her son should play intramurals, brother.

 

[Starman]

Well, she does have a point (even if very poorly and murkily worded):

Any kid who is on a high school sports team who NEVER gets to play, should quit. Sports is indeed a voluntary activity, if you are getting no benefit from it, then quit.

I wrote a column once to that effect: one of the teams in our coverage area had a coach who literally never played anybody off the bench, EVER. The starters played every minute of every game, and everyone else sat. (The team became locally notorious for running out of gas late in games.)

After my column (this was in a town where people did pay attention to local sports columns), several of the kids on the bench did indeed quit, to the point they only had one or two subs left on the team. Come tournament time, sure enough, somebody fouled out, somebody got hurt, and all of a sudden Norman Dale has to put Ollie the Geek in the game. Ollie the Geek did not make the free throw to win the game, so Norman Dale of course blamed the "meddling media" for "running kids off the team."

Tough ****, Norm. Nobody was keeping you from playing those kids earlier in the season. That was your own bright idea.