Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, Octoer 27,1993, Page 21 Response to suggestions of 'frustrated' parent To the. Editovr Re: Ken Jehnston'ds lettèr, 'Fnustrated at hockey politics' (The Free Press, Oct. 20). Rfifnro lT address the nolitica issue, I would first 111w te raact to% Mr. Johnsteins three suggestionsJ and how the system would ha affectad if we or ha ware te bring about thase necessary changes fer the sake of fairnesa. To give yeu an idea of what theè view looks like froni this ida of the fonce, put yourself in our shoes for a moment, ?r. Johnsten, te sea what would or will hacome of the threa suggestions and their impact on the association. Keep in mind, howavar, that for every action there ia always an equal and opposite reaction, and any new ideas or procedures wilI invariably draw the wrnth and scrutin y from people on the oppositeand ofthe issue. What seems like a implistic solution te semeone's particular problem quickly hacomes, dare I say the word, a pelitical hot potato. Aise ramember, it is your sworn duty ta sea that ail 1,250 players and 2,500 parente are tetaily and completely pleased with ail your activities and daciiens at ail times. The firat suggestion recom- mends that we seek or attempt te saek coaches who do not hava children on the teani. If that is net possible, thon we appoint only the head coach of the teain. If you adopt this policy, ha prepared to read lattera te the editer, lattera te the board, confrontations and phene calîs froni many parents arguing that this coach, who doesn't have a id on the teani, is net at ail familier with this ae group and, therefore, la not capable of seund judgments when selecting his The parent wiil thon net only ask, but demand, te know why we didn't appoint Mr. se and se, who happons tei ha their friand and aise has a kid on the teani. When we tiy te explain that u preferanca is for coaches without aide n the teani, we are duly advised, éither verbally or in writing, hew stupid we are for aven having a policy' like that. When juat the head coach is appointed, you will ha accused of "politica," especially when this individual does net pick the child ofthe persen who new denounces yIt ou and ail your associates elected te the board. Ini any avent, the first suggestion was such an excellent 4 idea that we did employ it at the end of the 1991/92 hockey season and it stilli is in affect for this year. Sadly, Mr. Johnsten, you tetally condemn the "system" and people who initiated the very policy recommended in your latter te, the editor. The second suggestion deals with a panal of non-partisan evaluaters ta select a teain on hahalf of the coach whom we have deemed incompetent in this aspet of coaching. What you are telIncg this volunteer ia that he's good enough te coach the tearn, but net good aneugh te pick it and. therefere, youll pick it fer Stephanie Duffy of Anderson CVI had a second-place finish in the senior girls' . vsion of the LOSSA cross country compati- tien at Trilliuni Valley, Oshawa Oct. 21. Duff was welI hahind Dunbar- ten's Ange Grahami, last yeares OFSAA champion, in the 5,000- matra avent. Jeff Clayton of Anderson was third in the. junior boys' event, a The first rapercussien of the new policy la that most or ail of our coachas weuld quit because of the humiliation ferced upon1 them. I don't knew of any exacutive member or coach who would aven want te sit on the panal, as there weuld ha an immediata barrage of lattera te the aditor about how someena's kid didn't niake a taam because yeu loadad up the panal with yeur own coach and executiva buddies, éund turned it into a "political" procass instead of a fair oe. Yas, aven yeu would bo accusod of this. Your final recommandation is that wa make an attempt ta force players te participate on teams they hava ne desire te ha on for varieus reasons. If you want te sea your nanie up in the lights and sulliad in public, run this new rule by a -few players and parante. The firat people you will hear freni will aither ha soebody's lawyer or a reprasentativa frem the Human Righte Cemmission. You'Ill ha hit hard, right botween the ayes, with the perpatual "plitical" axe, and I guarantea you will read in the paper ail about how unjust your policias are and how the association got contaminated by ineffectiva people who are net as caable as the people whe didn't I hope it's new beceming evident te yeu, Mr. Johnston, that things are net always as simple or uncomplicated as they seem te appear on the surface. In spite of your sincere and wel-meaning intentions, your threa suggestions. are provocative, highly political and weuld always ha construed as such by the first person or group that disagrees, of which there will ha many I can assure you. You would ha repiinded in public that your group lacks commnon sense and are essantially second-rate peopla with nothing botter te do than dreamn up half-witted rulas that only accomplish impedimente te the progreas of our young hockey stars. That is what you would experience on just three suggestions. Multiply this times the 100 or mere issues you would ha responsible for dealing with in the operation of the organization, eterna]ly under the constant scrutiny ef people whe don't want yeur job, but know much more than you and how te do it. Ail of these people are your friands until you have te niake a decision they don't like or disagree with. You'11 quickly find eut that net everybody agrees with you and their first choice of weaponry in any dispute is the "political" club for which you have ne defence. Your mission is te create hockey heaven whera every aduit gets exactly what they want and every kid gete on the teani. However, you are only human and humans make mistakes. Somewhere along the lina you midght just make an honest mistake, render a bad decisien, pick the wreng coach or a coach picks the wrong player. Nothing short of a public flogging would distance of 6,000 metres. Ban Sigaet of Henry Street High Scool was fourth in the midgt boys' oyant, a dis- tance ef5000 metras. Grog Smith of Henry was flifth in the senior boys' avent, over 7, 000 matres. Ail will go te DYSSA compati- tien in Woodbridge this week. OFSAA will aIse ha held in Woodbridge, on Nov-. punishnient for you and your people. O h yes, here are a few other things for you te do for me, too. Why don't you and your other executive friends get up off your Jazy butts and get us anothar rink built? I would aise 111w yeu te take my id off the waiting list because I don't want te stand ini lina with the less important people. Vour ice scheduling is a disgrace and 1 just happan te know better people than you Who would ba able te fit 1,300 ids into your 900-kid ice allotmant. I don't want xnykidd playing hockey bafora 7 p.m. or after 8:30 p.m., put soe other team on the ice. I want you ta fire ail the referees because they really stink and had tha narva te giva my ldd a penalty. Did yeu know that semaeof the ids and coaches swear? Mine doesn't. I don't like our hockey jackets and sweaters, do soniathing about it. I don't sea why we can't send our ids eut to fundraisa selling tickets fer liquor, do somnething about this, tee. LOSSA, DYSSA teni WFITBY SCiIOOL RESULTS Oct. 4-13 SINGLES Senior boys Goid Tan Vdenka Bronze Serge Na"ea Junior girls Silver Marha Boyagoda Bronza *NteaVardewyst Sergor girls Silver Nleeal-ooaenny DOUBLES Jurdor girls Gold Bth Bradty/ JIn isClarke Silver JaaaicaTelial Tarda Bonello Senior girls Silver Christins Croninel Claire Midgeham Bronza Triola Chaplral Belharry Wison Jurior boys Bronza Adrian Bugeil. Jonathon Eq,)riu Jurdor ndixsd GoId Claire Brarfnmal pater Misvk Senior nixad Goid Nil Kerl Diana Niedzvi"dki Austin Garnier Dwyer Dwyer Anderson Austin Austin Arnderson Henry Austin Anderson Anderson OVERALL STANDINGS Austin Anderson Junior girls Senior girls TROPFIES Austin Anderson DYSSA RESULTS OCT. 20 MEDALS Singles Junior girls Lety Marquez Doulies Junior mtxed Clar BramaW Peter Mse:ski Henry Andrson There's a teain out there that beats us ail the time, I doet want te play themn anyrnore. How corne Oshawa teams get more ioe than ours? It's ail your fault, do something. My kid doesn't like the cheeseburgers at the hockey banquet and ho didn't like the 9.ie he won. Get him one he .This is the viaw from our sida of the fenco, Mr. Johnston. How do you like it so far? We've only juat scratched the surface here and I would have no problem filling four pages of this9 Whitby figure skatin club TEST RESULTS, OCT. 7 Candice Bradury Jolena Oldieid 2nd Amanda Meek Lisa Coedy Tara Willims (part 4th Danial DiGiorgio <pArt1 Erin Reagan <part1 Oth Sarah Cook (part FREESKATES Junior silvr Kdie Bolduc(part Junior bronze Arnanda Maak ' Prelirninary Dutch waltz Junior bronze Seing Canasta tango Wiiiow Batby blues Senior bronze Tan-fox Junior silver AmarimanWallz Europaan Senior iler Startight waitz Kilan Andrea Lowa Aisha Sunderji Lemh Kent Coleen BertIay Andrea Aoeardo Anne Roger Lindsay Donnllty Aisha Sunderji Tara Wiiiimn Michelle GeaWi Anlorrela Deisordo Heather Chabassol Caridice Bradbury Maladie Laffey Christ>r Chalsoi Pu anier Parnela Dunn Lisa Coedy Mary Murphy (Orono) Danrea sDGiorgio' Miranda Gregoire TEST RESULTS. SPIING AND SUMMER Goid flreeskat Gold artlstic Amanda Littiejohn Nutasha Brioeau Natasha Brdesu yu oumght undarstand a little haer now. Larvy Daneey lut vice president, BWMA Wednesday night dart leagLie LABTTS BLE UGHT DIVISION 5tsxno asusa1 Oct. 20 W L PTS Baker FumiluraFlnlshfrg "7 3 1 Dodd &SouArvBroailO M 16 14 Claremoni Coltacor Cars 11 9 il Whlttw Trophy Hou a. il 9 Pairma Foam Inematlon" 9 il 9 Dayd Noron Servie« 85 12 a GaryC pins Servic s 7 13 7 Fticelfng Tachnics lac. 6 1 55 Omnus plmysd Parrma Foam Clarermt Col. Baker Fumitura 8 Day1. Nron Barou» 6 Fsidc Ntn Tahnic4 8 Gary Coppis Ser. 2 John McPhorson 86 AlPindar 6w GeorgeaDav 50 Tony Van De Van 45 Mike Neuwhol 44 Todd Barbour 35 Bob Anisey 35 John Laporte S Terry Pot rtck 3 Grurn Sangwin 29 Player 01th1we ls John Stono LABATT'5 CARLSBERG DIVISION Stanilnga sat Oct. 20 W L PTS DeeiratlaOffice Services 7 5 7 National Trust 6 566 Ro*eEnterpiso 6 6 In-in SoreFitues 5 7 5 Garrus ploysd Roys Entarrise 4 In)-Una Store 2 Desirtta Orlice- 3 Nationsi Trust 3 Top Sôscomer Joy Husak 14 Scott Lorimner 1 Susan Cormiar il Sherry brimer V David Reid 9 Joui Appieby 8 Player of thew .k Suealird Duffy 2nd at LOSSA