The Mail-Journal, Volume 23, Number 31, Milford, Kosciusko County, 30 July 1986 — Page 8
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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., July 30,1986
Sports
Just For Fun/by Dave Straub
Those big kids dominate the little leagues
I don’t know if any of you read it. If you haven’t, please do. For your kid’s sake. Recently, Mike Royko wrote an interesting column on little leagues. But the kids weren’t the story. No, it was the parents and how they dominate such activities How they shout insults at the umpires. How they ride the coaches because “Joey doesn’t play.” How they over indulge themselves with winning, often using their kids to relive past childhoods. In a style only he could muster, Royko summarized an incident that culminated all of the above. It happened in a Chicago suburb. It involved the coach of a winning T-Ball team and an angry mother, whose child was on the losing team. The mother confronted the coach after the game, insisting he intimidated the umpires. Naturally, the coach told her to go south, among other expletives. The mother challenged him to repeat this. He did. She then took a swing at the coach and suddenly, both were on the ground, rolling around in the dust. Other parents joined the fight, and they too, were rolling around in the dust. When all was over, the mother had a split lip and the coach was suspended from the league. This brawl was comparably mild, by Royko’s ac-
7 a <bii ; '■ M * *rgj&-ar-M mjli ' i if r -• * \i 14 A . / ’> ~ / jßßgjsßsik b-MMW - / b ■J9MB| ■ 'BLr \ 7 H " fICEiBB . IMIeSe ' i BEBL HHMHflfl 'jrX STATE OUTDOOR CHAMPION — Pictured is Dawn Firestone of Syracuse, who won the state outdoor one-meter diving title at Noblesville this past weekend. Dawn was tops in the 11-12 girls bracket, scoring 208 points. She won this title last year as well. Dawn has had a remarkable diving career to this point. Now entering eighth grade at Syracuse Junior High School, she has already won diving titles at the White River Park State Games (1984) and the Indiana State Indoor meet (1984). She took second at the State Indoor meet last year as well as placing third in the White River Park State games. (Photo by Dave Straub)
Ladies' golf results
SOUTH SHORE 'Results from South Shore Ladies Golf for Tuesday 1 , July 29 are: Medal Play, 18-hoie winners — Jan Mahr; first place; Linda Broekers. second place; and Gloria Stoffel, third place. Nine-hole winners —' Jo Waltz, first place; Emma Stouder, second place; and Mary Lou Smith, third place. Handicap tourney winners, 18 holes — Donna Bevington, A Flight; and Jan Mahr. B Flight. Ann Harter was the nine-hole winner
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MAX WELTON : Results from Maxwelton 1 Ladies Golf for Wednesday, July , 23, are: Beat The Pro, nine-hole winners — Inez Beeswanger and [ June Lantz. Winners for 18 holes — Delight Craig, Maggie Smith, Maxine Fuller, Leera Stone, Ginny Lamont, Marge Kavanaugh, Jane > Musser, Marge Heckaman, Dee Baumer, Rose Lantz, Dot Wysong, Janet Hayes, Alice Harbeson, Shirley Quinn, Patty Norman and June Auer.
count. He recalled other incidents involving firearms, lawsuits and long-standing feuds — sparked by these wonderful little league disputes. You see, little leagues have taken on a new dimension. Not only do parents dominate the organizational aspect, they now fight for the kids. Someday, they might play as well. Just buy bigger uniforms. What often happens in little league is just the start of parent domination in sports. It continues at each level, with each sport. And when parents are no longer “coaches,” thus left to trust a paid coach when their kids reach high school, they inflict demands. So parents complain: “I don’t care if Joey has no talent, he’s entitled to play. It’s only fair.” With that, merit goes out the window as well as a potentially rewarding lesson about life for the kid. The good ones always play. They should. And those with less ability should sit on the bench until they are good enough to break in. For the even less-skilled, I suggest they look into something else. Sports is not for everyone. Thus, everyone is not cut out to be an athlete. But no, there are parents who pamper their kids.
| Practice set 1 for Wawasee swimmers I All girls interested in going out I for the Wawasee High School swim team should immediately I get physical forms from the main I office and have them filled out by I Monday, Aug. 11, which will be I the first day of practice. Practice will be from 8 to 11 am. Prospective swimmers must bring their suits, towels and their physical forms. This also applies to divers. Coach Tim Caldwell stressed that all candidates must have their physical forms completed. I Otherwise, participants cannot practice.
kX .UN * IS Jam t sox — Pictured are members of the Sox softball team at Milford. From left to right are Coach Jeff Carrillo, Melonie Hobbs. Lisa Miller, Michelle Coy, Kris Zimmerman, Kendra Douglas, Ramona Carrillo. Pam Joyce and Coach Joe Carrillo. Pam Shock, Charity Stump and Evelyn Stricklin were absent when the photo was taken.
jv u . ANGELS — Pictured are members of the Angels T-Ball team at Milford. In front, from left to right, are Jeremy Howard, Christopher Stump, Chad Swartz. Jeb Freeman, Brandon Hollar and Jennifer Eades. In back are Christy Hollar, Ora Freeman, Coach Mike Stewart, Eric Jackson, Tasha Evans and Meghann Stewart. Joseph Olivo was absent when the photo was taken.
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They insist their kids “need” to be active — in sports. They never seem to consider what the kid likes. If an objection is raised, it is overlooked. The decision is made for him. Personally, I remember having some independence at a young age. Guess I was lucky to have parents who didn’t force me into sports or pamper me with thoughts of “what’s fair.” They understood that some things had to be learned the hard way; that some things never come easy and earning your way is the best way. It made you tougher. Now, the invention of little leagues is starting to tear down those lessons. Sandlot games were more fun anyway. You know, where the good ones played and the ones with less ability joined the weaker team or watched. We made up our own teams and found our own place to play. If an open field wasn’t available, we played on the streets, and gathered crushed beer cans, loose paper and rocks to make the bases. It was simple. But we had fun. Meanwhile, our parents were either working, or at home, watching reruns of Perry Mason. What could be a better way to grow up?
W MB JE •— —«• aMS-’* .- BL ! ■ r r A H w iJWBS JL* fl-lK tr ~ TENNIS WINNERS — Pictured are Bill Leemon and Kathy Leemon of Milford and Donna Ludgate and Jay Ludgate of Ereemont. The Leemons took second place in the third annual Cindonway Shores mixed doubles tennis tournament, held July 12. The Ludgates claimed top honors.
BOWLERS TO MEET Members of the Lakeland Women’s’s Bowling Association * will meet Monday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Wawasee Bowl in ' Syracuse. The agenda includes scheduling and voting on the local tournament rules and reviewing the rule changes made at the annual Women’s Invitational Bowling Congress meeting last April.
REDS — Pictured are members of the Reds T-Ball team at Milford. In front, from left to right, are Rachel Hivelj, Jennifer Hively, April Salazar, Karrie Foltz and Eric Pinkerton. In back are Coach Dennis Pinkerton, Jeremy Olson, Elizabeth Pinkerton, Greg Brunjes, Joe t Swango and Coach Ken Foltz. Jennifer Morgan, David Smeltzer and Domingo Melendez were absent when the photo was taken.
. * 1 LI O i? A I 1 '“A j J w , )K< w 4 1 >1 A JU ACCUR-CUT — Pictured are members of the Accur-Cut softball team at North Webster. In front, from left to right, are Denise Ross, Tanya Harris, Tracie Leslie and Tara Parsons. In back are Coach Bob Rodeffer, Jennifer Leslie, Charity Cripe, Lee Rodeffer, Sherry Ross, Linda Leslie and Sponsor Joe Harris. gwsi drns bbl J FL BDwL r ’a 4 A *i i ‘ Lk. itu. 7'J l ■ J* < TIPPI VIEW FARMS — Pictured are members of the Tippy View Farms softball team at North Webster. In front, from left to right, are Christy Rockenbaugh, Dawn Orban, Christi Tom and Tammy Tom. In back are Coach Reah Tom, Angie Tom, Amy Stidams, Stacey Lent and Coach Marie Tom.— 7 Kathy Henwood. Jennifer Darr, Suzy Parr, Missy Barker and Coach Linda Darr were absent when the photo was taken. ‘ X aJDiv iJI ' I x- Jr J • MKbmßml KAjHbbb PIRATES — Pictured are members of the Pirates softball team at Milford. In front, from left to right, :ire Lisa Mikel, Rita Beer, Melissa Eades, Pam Rehborg and Kelly Boggs. In back are Coach Joel Robbins, Jenny Lotter, Catherine .Butler, Caren Northrop, Kristin Robbins and Kris Eisenhour. Coach Al Eades was absent when the photo was taken.