This letter was sent to an editor at a newspaper somewhere else in the country. The letter was posted on a popular Website frequented by sports journalists that has generated countless comments and page views. At the bottom of the letter I posted a few comments from the sportswriters.

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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?

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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

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Comments:

spikechiquet: “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?

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 …”