Mold good sportsmen; don’t punish athletes

What happened to the days of your son or daughter suiting up in their high school uniforms and going out to play sports for the fun of it? It seems that the era of teaching and sportsmanship has gone by the wayside.

I have sat back quietly and watched as high school sports has become more than a teaching tool. When did we cross the line from learning the game and having fun to winning is everything and sometimes that isn't enough?

The incident that sent me over the edge was when I heard that an area school's coaching staff was “rewarding their win” last week with sprints in practice not because they are out of shape but because of the way they played. Have we not crossed the line here when it comes to our kids? Save the discipline for poor performance for the pros. Teach our kids the right way to be sportsmen and the proper need for discipline where needed.

The need for a state championship has become more important to the coaching staff resume than the molding of our kids to be upstanding and strong individuals. Yes, I love to see my team win, but at what cost?

Let's give our kids a pat on the back and say good job but we can do it better, not you need punishment because you didn't perform up to our expectations.

Tom Fuhrmeister

Marion