Dear Editor,
“What? We’ve lost another game,” screams the coach. This outcry is heard around ball fields and gyms across this county. Coaches and teams are often most concerned with winning.
However, the true goal in sports should be teaching sportsmanship.
While it is important to have “wins,” which teach players that their hard work does have a payoff, the long-term goal of all sports teams should be sportsmanship.
This teaches valuable “life lessons” that will last much longer than the victory of a game.
Look at the example of a 2008 college softball game, where the “winning isn’t everything” attitude brought three girls farther than any win.
Sara Tucholsky, a senior at West Oregon hit her first-ever over-the-fence home run. After rounding first base, she realized that she had missed the bag. When she turned back to tag first, the worst imaginable thing happened ... she tore her ACL.
Unable to walk, she crawled back to first base. Mallory Holtman, the first-baseman for Central Washington knew the rules. Any assistance by Sara’s team would cost her the home run and to put in a pinch runner would only count for a single.
But, there were no rules against being carried by the opposing team. So, Mallory, aided by Liz Wallace, the shortstop, did something unbelievable: They carried Sara around all the bases.
It led to a Western Oregon win of 4-2 and a sweep of the double-header.
This is one game where sportsmanship and not winning was on the minds of all involved. Holtman said, “She (Sara) deserved it. She hit the ball over the fence,” adding that she had been taught by her coach, Gary Frederick, that “winning is not everything.”
I have been involved in recreational and travel softball. My two sisters play recreational softball, and my two brothers play recreational, as well as travel, baseball.
It hurts to lose, and it hurts to see them lose. But, the rewards of true sportsmanship will far outweigh the losses.
Sportsmanship is far more important in the development of our youth than the act of winning.
The county recreational centers should instill sportsmanship in their coaches. The coaches should instill sportsmanship in their players. And all parents should instill sportsmanship in their children.
The fact is,winning isn’t everything, and it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.
The youth of this county deserve to have the true meaning of sports taught to them.
Kaitlynn Hay, 13, Canton
Adjust school calendar to save
Dear Editor,
Dr. Frank Petruzielo says we need to find more money for schools. I say we need to start rethinking how we spend the current funding.
Cherokee needs to look around at some of the other counties in the metro area, and the nation, for that matter, and see how they are cutting costs in this new environment and doing more with less.
More taxes is not the answer, as our citizens are making less. As a result of legislation passed last year, schools are allowed to modify the traditional 180-day school year.
In Fulton County, they are increasing the length of the school day and reducing the number of days kids go to school.
Our schools have too early of release times. Fulton also doesn't have seven weeks of school off during the school year. We are not utilizing our time efficiently.
Dr. P always points to the improving scores as confirmation of this new school year calendar, but it doesn't seem to be affecting North Fulton schools.
The school calendar should not be treated as a sacred cow, and alternatives should be developed and analyzed and put up against program cuts and teacher furloughs.
Can we get the same amount of instruction in 165 days if we go to school 30 minutes longer? Yes.
Can we avoid going to school in the hottest part of the year if we shorten some of our seven weeks we have off during the year? What impact will that have on heating, electricity and transportation?
I urge everyone to get in contact with the school board and voice their concerns over the calendar and the budget. Ask questions and demand some answers.
Brett Krumrey, Canton
Put SPLOST funds to better use
Dear Editor,
I am sorry I was unable to attend commissioners’ various town hall meetings. I would have liked to have discussed the SPLOST money that was initially supposed to go towards parks and recreation, roads, etc.
In reality, it was used for the $54 million runway extension and the $23 million county administration building, which is conveniently located to all the non-existent businesses flourishing (not) on Bluffs Parkway along Technology Ridge.
I guess all the non-existing corporate planes needed the airport upgrade. Maybe the county could sponsor Saturday night drag races on all that new, unused pavement.
See if you can bring that up at your next retreat.
At least The “Bluffs” Parkway was aptly named.
Does “SPLOST” really stand for “Stupid People LOST?”
Bob Dyer, Canton
Oppose the I-575 annexation
Dear Editor,
This letter is to clearly express my opposition to the annexation of Interstate 575 by the cities in Cherokee County.
The legal opening this legislation would provide could create many future possibilities that would not be to the advantage of Cherokee County citizens.
Grand Jury presentments of past years were totally opposed to this annexation.
Opposition to this request by all elected officials would be appreciated by the mass number of of the people in Cherokee County.
I am a land owner, business owner, taxpayer and voter in Cherokee County.
Arnold I. Goldberg, Woodstock
Don't abuse the Move Over law
Dear Editor,
There is a little-known law that was passed a couple of years ago to help make our police and other emergency personnel safe when stopped on the side of the road issuing citations or helping injured or stranded motorists.
The Georgia Move-Over Law requires drivers to move over one lane when possible if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is parked on the shoulder of the highway.
If traffic is too heavy to move over safely, the law requires drivers to slow down below the posted speed limit instead and to be prepared to stop.
I had no idea this was a law but I try to move over one lane when possible to avoid coming to close to these stopped vehicles.
In my opinion, this is a good law and has already proved to save lives, however, there are also quite a few blogs online of citizens like myself that think this law is being abused by law enforcement. Because the fine starts at $500, it is obviously a great revenue stream for Georgia counties.
I was pulled over recently in Cobb County for breaking this law, when I passed three police cars sitting in a right turn-only lane with their blue lights blaring. None of the officers were outside their cars.
I slowed down to 35 mph in a 45 mph zone and carefully passed the three cars. Within seconds of passing them, an officer was on my bumper, and I was pulled over.
It was clear to me that this was a setup, because of how quick a fourth car appeared out of nowhere to pull me over.
Obviously, when asked if I knew why I was pulled over, I told the officer that I had no idea. He told me about the law.
I read the paper, and I follow the Georgia Legislature, but I had never heard of this law.
He also stated I appeared nervous and visually impaired and proceeded to administer a breathalyzer test. I blew a 0.00.
I was not speeding, I did not run a red light or a stop sign, I was not weaving, I did not swerve, and I was not drunk. But, this little-known law was used to pull me over, harass me, DUI test me and lecture me.
The officer wrote me a ticket for breaking this law. The low end of the fine is $500 and 4 points on my spotless insurance record.
I caution each of you to keep an eye out for emergency vehicles on the side of the road. Even the ones that are sitting there with their blue lights swirling with no car pulled over.
Apparently the law is so vague that all the police have to do is sit there with their lights on and wait for you to pass them without moving over. It doesn’t matter if they have pulled over another vehicle or not. Spread the word.
Cary Silverman, Canton
