[Hoot Gibson]

Excellent post Mr. Gibson.I certainly could not agree with you more. As I have looked at the posts on this thread throughout the day I have wondered how the expressions presented in them will be recieved by the young people who read them. A few short years ago young players from Paintsville and Johnson Co.were united for three years in little league baseball playoffs. It did not matter to them if one was from Flat Gap or 6th street. They were there to play baseball and try to retrieve a State championship. What is really sad was that the 4th year a group of adults decided to start a new league. Roughly half of those boys left. The State Tournement was held in Paintsville.Half of those boys played and lost. The other half watched through the fence. One could not help but think what would have happened if that group had stayed unified. Adults seem to have a way. Some of those boys now play at Central ,some at Paintsville and others to the four winds.

Johnson County had a great American Legion baseball program for a few years when I was in school. I played baseball with many of the same kids from both Paintsville and the county from Little League until my final year of American Legion. Those were some good times. There is no good reason for the county and city kids not to compete with and, even better play on the same teams whenever possible.

8th grade and high school football are the exception only because the county has such a huge enrollment advantage, Paintsville no longer has an edge in coaching, and county kids are staying home to play football. I hate to see non-school sports like Little League, Babe Ruth (or whatever organization they are affiliated with now), etc. broken down along city/county lines. Some of my best friends were from Paintsville and it was great being able to have them as teammates at least part of the time.