Oct. 30, 2003

By Staff
Pee-Wee football: A dad's lament
To the editor:
After a Pee-Wee football game at West Lauderdale, my 10-year old son asked me the question I had been dreading. "Why don't I get to play Daddy? What's wrong with me?" I decided to ask his coach, Tony Temple, his question.
Since I had been to every practice with my son and had watched Mr. Temple operate, I should have known better. He said he had played him the whole game on defense. I informed him he was mistaken and this was the second game of four that he had not played my son any. He then told me he would decide who played and how much and if I did not like it to leave.
Well, the conversation deteriorated from there, which I regret, but as I said, I should have known better. I wanted to ask him why his sons, one of whom does not even go to West Lauderdale, get to play the whole game, every game, but I guess I knew how that would turn out.
I then decided to ask my son's question to the assistant director of the Pee-Wee program and head football coach at West Lauderdale, Stan McCain. He actually told me this was just one of those lessons in life my son would have to learn. I wonder, Stan, what lesson is that?
Is it that even when his team is losing 28-0, my son is not good enough for his coach to find a few seconds for him to play; or, is the lesson that not one adult at the school seems to care that this is just Pee-Wee football and these little boys sign up to play. How will they learn otherwise?
I just can't get out of my head the picture of my son following his coach up and down the sideline, step for step the whole game, hoping he will look down and say, "You're in." That never happened, and he did learn a lesson about life, loud and clear, but why did it have to be at 10 years old?
My son is finished, but I hope someone reading this will insist that the school review the Pee-Wee program for the next little boy who loves the game, signs up and gets a coach like we got.
Son, someone does care your dad.
Mike Nabors
Collinsville
Unfair pay for bus drivers
To the editor:
There are two teachers driving school bus for Northeast Elementary School making about $45 a day. One route is 40 minutes and the other is 1 hour and 15 minutes one way. These are class two routes, a $30 a day route.
This is not only unfair to other class two drivers but the class three and special ed drivers as it exceeds what they get paid. There are other workers in the school system that would also like to make $45 for a couple hours work, such as cafeteria workers, secretaries and mechanics.
I have addressed this to the proper administration and so far have received the following answers: It's not going to be changed; I don't do payroll; it's being addressed and the fourth has not yet responded. I have worked for and with the school system for many years and nearly everyone earns their pay. Some go far beyond in their support jobs to make things happen at the schools.
Let's be fair.
Jim Bristow
Meridian
Officer Rita Jack commended
To the editor:
I am writing to commend Senior Officer Rita Jack of the Meridian Police Department, who came to our Meridian terminal to return merchandise she had found at the location of Highway 80 and Oakland Heights Street. The value of the merchandise was only $49.66, but the commendation for honesty is valued much more.
She should be recognized not only by the Meridian Police Department but by citizens of Meridian. Police officers have a code of ethics to abide by and it may seem like a small gesture, but we greatly appreciate what she did.
Vickie Baker
Supervisor, Yellow Transportation
Meridian