Letter: Winsted Little League needs help
January 18, 2010 by Staff
Filed under Letters to the Editor
From: John Entinger
2009 Winsted Little League President
The 2010 baseball/softball season is fast approaching, and we are in need of help in all areas of the Winsted LIttle LEague organization.
In the past, most of the work has been done by one or two people. To organize, sign-up, equipment ordering, fundraising, field repair and maintenance, etc., takes a group. Our organization is in need of some change.
This is not a school or government-run organization, it is a volunteer group of people to better our community and children. If we don’t receive more input and help from the parents, this program will no longer exist.
There is much more to the program than just getting your children to practices and games. Coaching is only a part of it. I am more than willing to show anyone what needs to be done. If we don’t get the help that is needed, we will be forced to stop the program.
There is an informational meeting Monday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. at Jimmy’s Pizza in Winsted to determine the future of this organization.
Little League isn’t the only group struggling to find adequate volunteer help. Lagging participation rates by parents of Scouts has been a growing problem, leaving more responsibility on the backs of fewer and fewer people. Those who stick with it take on the extra load, often because they enjoyed the programs when they were young, and want to make sure that their kids (or in some rare instances when the volunteers don’t have kids in the program, everyone’s kids) have a chance to have the same experiences.
In some ways, I believe we’ve done it to ourselves. Between jobs, school, and everything else out there, I believe we’ve allowed ourselves to become more busy than ever before, and we’ve lost our ability to really take a day of rest. Even our weekends simply become the times that we run errands, tend the yard, fix the house, or attend weekend activities for the team, pack, troop, etc.
I don’t know if there are any easy answers to this one. I sure hope that some will step forward to help, but I feel the same way about the Scout troop I’m helping. If I take on another commitment, I’d have to give up Scouting, and I think many of the folks I’ve asked to volunteer feel the same way about their other activities–to take on any more would require a paring of what already is. I just hope we each make wise decisions as we contemplate such changes.
Part of the problem is that children today unlike years ago are more into
computers, video games, and TV. As parents we need to encourage them to
get out and do something physical like baseball. More children involved
would provide more volunteers to help. Until the kids are motivated to get
involved in summer sports programs those programs will struggle.
Our children get there ambition from there parents. If parents get involved than our children will as well. Stop blaming the kids for what they do it is on the parents. Kids imitate their parents.