Let's All Be Adults

I believe that student involvement in high school sports is one of the surest ways for young adults to learn many life lessons. Unfortunately, not all of those life lessons are positive.

Each season, without fail, there seems to be a controversy spurred on by the behavior of a parent, coach, referee, player, fan, or even school administration. Sometimes there are multiple lessons to be learned.

This year, the Lady Scotties had a disappointing basketball season. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last. A person can call it growing pains, restructuring, rebuilding or any number of cliché terms, but all programs go through it.

Recently, an anonymous letter was sent to multiple people in the community about the girls basketball program. Those that received the letter included business owners, past and present coaches, members of the media, Scottie fans and members of the girls' basketball team.

Let that sink in for just a minute - an adult was likely the author of the letter, and that person purposely mailed copies to girls that played on the team...our kids.

While I don't want to validate the contents of the letter, I will refer to it as I share my thoughts. The letter is full of accusations, criticisms, snarky comments and some shaky facts about past and current seasons.

What the letter doesn't contain is one shred of integrity. The only thing that could reverse that, is a signature at the bottom of the page. Without a signature, the author lost all credibility.

The effects of an anonymous letter can be far-reaching and spread like poison. It doesn't just victimize the intended subject/s. It can create tension and distrust, affecting entire programs negatively. It can also create pain and embarrassment in the community – including for those people that are unfairly suspected of authoring the letter.

My advice, for what it's worth, to anybody that wants to see a change: Do your research. Make sure you have correct information to support your concerns; Voice your opinion and stand by it. More people will listen and respect you for being brave; Be prepared to offer solutions. Nobody wants to re-invent the wheel.

Finally, let's remember what's important – our children. Let's celebrate their successes and offer encouragement instead of finding fault and criticizing. Let's set an example, with our words and our behaviors, and lead them in the right direction. Let's all be the adults they need us to be.