Dear Editor,

Why are participation numbers down in county sports? There are several reasons.

#1: there are not as many kids in each attendance area as there used to be.

#2: kids think they are entitled to a playing time without putting in quality practice time

#3: lack of motivation to be an active part of a team nowadays.

#4: laziness

#5: the cost to participate in school athletics

#6: parents

#7: electronics

Number 1 is obvious (to some people….), numbers 2 and 3 are re-enforced by many number 6’s, and numbers 4 and 7 are not addressed by many number 6’s.

Let’s face it, the population of our county is not going to increase to bring the number of participants up to where they used to be for each attendance area. Kids are going to continue to feel they are entitled to everything as long as they are allowed to think they are entitled to everything. Kids are going to continue to be unmotivated until they are forced to be motivated. Kids are going to continue to be lazy until they are forced to not be lazy.

The cost to participate in athletics is here to stay, just like taxes, they aren’t going to disappear.

Parents, that’s another story. Stop letting your kids feel that they are entitled to anything. Stop filling them with the notion that they deserve this or that just for showing up to the gym or field. Start encouraging them to go out and put in 100%, 100% of the time. Stop saying, “that kid beat you out because of his/her last name”. Stop saying your kid won’t play because you’re from an outlying area. Offer to help coach, volunteer, join the booster group, help with maintenance of fields, go to work bees. Don’t just drop your kid off and leave. BE INVOLVED! If your kids see you helping/volunteering, guess what, they will probably work harder and earn something. Last, but not least, limit electronics time. If your kid isn’t active, don’t let them use/have the Xboxes and PS4’s.

Lastly, a question to think about. Would you rather continue to field mediocre teams, struggling to keep that team because of school colors or a mascot, or come together as a whole to create something better for everyone involved?

P.S. Ask any of the Youngsville football players that finished the past season wearing blue and see what they have to say. I bet 99% would have something positive to say from the experience.

Jeremy M. Wyman,

Warren