[dawgbyte02]

Very, very good point. :Thumbs:

I'd like to see LC as a school district have a school sponsored youth program for every sport. As it stands now, and correct me if I am wrong, there are NO school sponsored sports until Middle School. You look at most of the surrounding counties and each school has a School sponsored basketball, football, cheer leading, etc. team. If it wasn't for some involved parents stepping up and taking the lead there would be no youth sports in LC whatsoever.

It does not necessarily have to be school sponsored. Little league baseball and youth soccer in Lawrence County are not school sponsored and have 200 plus kids involved. All it takes is an umbrella organization and volunteer coaches to teach fundamentals. Where I see problems is when folks think they can put together a better team than a local little league team for example. If there are 6 teams in the local league they pick the best 2 players off those teams and have a solid team. Of course this weakens the local league. The local league takes all comers, regardless of ability and has a fair draft system that puts teams on an even playing field. In other areas travel teams do not compete with local leagues but encourage participation in these leagues because they are great developmental leagues. We all know of players who at one time we would of thought they were mediocre at best because of size, ability, etc, but with some encouragement, practice and physical growth they became game changers later on. We have become to impatient and way to wrapped up in winning just for the sake of winning and have lost sight of developing the whole person. Travel teams are for players who want to go the extra mile and put in the work. Travel team coaches are only interested in the best players. That is why they have tryouts and expensive team fees. But my point is that both can work together to develop solid programs that helps all youth find their way in a very complicated life.