FanSpeak Sept12

Thoughts on Wiffle ball

WHEN I was a kid growing up in Sikeston, my brothers and friends would play Wiffle ball all the time. The great thing about Wiffle ball is that you only need two players to have a game. Besides using the Wiffle ball, we would use tennis balls when our Wiffle ball would break. Also, you can hit a golf balls really far with a Wiffle ball bat. I think the rules of golf should allow you to replace the driver with a Wiffle ball bat on the golf tee. Your handicap would drop fast, as well as the foursome in front of you.

Tips for coaches

SOME COACHES who make excuses and say not many players went out for the team aren't developing the talent they have. A large number of players are ignored while those coaches work with kids they seem to think are the best. They don't recognize that some kids who may not be as big or as talented in eighth grade would blossom if someone would work with them. But the kids lose interest when they're ignored day after day, week after week. Those are the facts. Second, if a team is fatigued, I don't believe a kid who has played first string offense and defense the whole game is as fresh as a second-string player would be late in the game. Put in some of those players late in the game.

Soccer correction

I'M A soccer mom who's calling in to correct your error from the soccer game that occurred between Cape Central and Jackson Indians on Sept. 3. The paper said two goals scored by Sam Borenstein and one goal scored by Trenton Beckham. That was wrong. Tyson Whiteside and Lance Altenthal each made a goal, both assisted by Sam Bornstein. Aaron Hutzel made the goal that was assisted by Beckham. Could you please correct this for the parents who try to keep a scrapbook for their kids so we could have accurate records?

(A correction appeared in the Sept. 5 edition. We regret the error.)

Food for thought

AFTER SEEING the Southeast Missouri State football team get hammered 42-3 by SIU, every Southeast fan probably is wondering how things have changed, especially the last two years. In 2002, the Southeast football team was 8-4 and SIU coach Jerry Kill said Tim Billings and his team were one year ahead of the Salukis. Two years later, the Salukis are the No. 1 team in 1-AA, and it is Southeast who has fallen way behind. In fact, Southeast is way behind SIU in most sports. In 2003-04, in the major sports, only the Southeast women's basketball team was able to defeat the Salukis. Why? SIU has better athletes. Why? Funding. SIU has the financial ability to recruit the top players in the nation. Why? Simple. SIU athletic director Paul Kowalczyk personally raised the money, securing one $4.5 million donation to the athletic department from an individual. He picked up a $25,000 donation for athletic scholarships from Herrin Bank and another $10,000 from another private donation. He also got SIU to build a first-class softball stadium that recently hosted the MVC Tournament. Absolutely amazing work. It's hard to believe that Southeast Missouri passed him up when he interviewed for the job a few years ago.

Slighting Scott City

AS A parent of a Scott City volleyball player, I am very disappointed in the small article on Page 3B of Thursday's newspaper regarding Scott City's win in the conference tournament. I am sure that if Notre Dame won their conference tournament, they would be front-page news.

Too much football

I HAVE been bombarded with enough high school football already in the paper and on television. How about a little coverage for softball, tennis, cross country, soccer, volleyball -- anything but football constantly.

Disappointed with coverage

I EAGERLY awaited the Sunday paper to see how the Kelly and Sikeston cross country teams finished in the Jackson Invitational on Sept. 4. Imagine my disappointment when neither school was mentioned in any way. This was despite the fact that Kelly's runners appeared to take some first, second and third places in some divisions. While I certainly don't expect to see the scores from each of the 22 teams who competed, I do expect to see all area schools' scores reported. In the past, we were able to get the official results on the Sunday sports pages of our local newspapers, and I am chalking this omission up to an oversight on the newspaper's part.

Too much Mario

THIS PAPER runs so many front-page articles about Mario Whitney like he is going to get drafted by the NFL next year. He has done nothing since high school and yet he still gets huge, full-color, front-page ads in the paper. He should have to prove that he can still play before another front-page article.