People outside sports have value as speakers

A local chamber of commerce keynotes its annual celebration with a famous wrestling coach. An annual event celebrating young professional leaders keynotes its festivities with a famous former wrestling coach. A major arteriole street in Coralville is named after a football coach. A small drive in Cedar Rapids gets renamed for a professional golfer. See a mental logjam here?

While individuals achieving national acclaim in athletics may merit their speaking fees or a roadway accolade, it's disturbing and counterproductive that these honors are locally so ubiquitously and narrowly bestowed to one realm of human experience. Such athletic myopia also delivers a poor message: That only sports heroes of national acclaim, as opposed to other leaders of national or neighborhood acclaim, have a worthwhile, inspirational, community-building message to deliver.

Our area is chock full of people who excel in the arts, health care, agriculture, education or technology. As various entities celebrate their annual festivities next year and desire an inspirational, community-building speaker to keynote their events, they would add to the richness and worth of their activities by choosing a speaker from one of these other populations.

Patrick Muller

Hills