Bits & Pieces

By Kim J. Harmon

 

One of the great things that Newtown youth sports believes in is the ideal that every kid should be guaranteed a spot on the team and every kid should be guaranteed a chance to play in the game.

But I wonder if that philosophy – reinforced over three, four or five years in youth sports programs – hasn’t lulled some people into thinking the same applies to their sons or daughters when they move on to a higher level of competition.

Like high school.

Okay – there is no question that every kid should have the opportunity to join a team and the opportunity to play for that team, but those opportunities have to be EARNED. The harsh reality, folks, is that some kids have more ability than other kids … and some kids have a more positive attitude and stronger work ethic than other kids.

I have been in this business for 19 years and it has been my experience that parents (and, without reservation, I include myself) are generally poor judges of their kids’ abilities. So, it is up to the coaches to weigh all those factors to determine who has EARNED the opportunity to participate.

When it comes to varsity sports, it is the coach’s responsibility to not only teach and develop his athletes, but also select the ones that will help the program become successful. Cuts are not easy – for anyone. And, sure, parents have every right to be upset if their son or daughter has been cut from a team.

But, remember, this is not youth sports.

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I don’t understand why anyone would want to coach in this town. It is appalling the lack of respect a lot of coaches – be it baseball, softball, soccer, basketball or whatever – are accorded by players and parents in Newtown.

High school coaches earn very little money and youth coaches earn none. They coach because they love the sports and (we hope) love teaching kids and that alone deserves all our respect. Sure, there are a lot of coaches who have some deficiencies in the way they relate to their players or their understanding of the sport, but wouldn’t it be better to help out than hinder?

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Get those fishing rods and tackle boxes out of the garage and get ready for the annual Children’s Fishing Derby at Dickinson Park.

The Parks and Recreation Department and the Newtown Fish and Game Club get together every year to stock the pool at Dickinson Park with 250 trout of all sizes and weights and fisherman of every age (up to age 12, that is) can cast a line.

The Derby will be held on Saturday, April 12, with fishing from 8 am to 12 noon. There will be all kinds of prizes, too.

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Coming out of Newtown High School at about 1:30 pm on Monday, I flipped on WFAN and discovered the New York Mets were down 4-0 in the top of the first in their 2003 season opener with the Chicago Cubs.

They eventually lost 15-2.

What a great harbinger of the summer, eh?

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Okay, the Boston Red Sox haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the American League Eastern Division title yet, but how long is that actually going to take?